Chapter 32 Have you fallen for me?

She was awakened by the chirping of birds outside.

I drew back the curtains, and the sun shone brightly outside the window. Several little red finches were faintly visible on the oak tree in front of the window.

She stretched, her back a little sore, but she felt refreshed after a good night's sleep.

After washing up and going downstairs for breakfast, I learned that Ye Huaizhang had left for Shenzhen early that morning.

She went to the underground wine cellar again and searched it carefully, but found nothing.

Standing at the main entrance, I looked around again.

The gray-black walls were unmarked, and the floor was made of small square tiles.

She searched all the square bricks in the open space but found no clues.

That leaves only these wine racks in front of me.

Ye Baoling counted them; there were twelve large wooden wine racks in total, arranged in three rows and four columns, each filled with red wine. It would take time and effort to move all of them.

She could take down the bottles of red wine one by one, but she couldn't possibly move such a large wine rack by herself.

We need someone to help us.

Who can she ask for help?

There are only two people to choose from: Ye Huaizhang and Chen Yulan.

She needs to think about it carefully.

*

Ye Baoling officially took over the management of the cleaning department at Ye Qingtang.

She used to be a lonely woman doing odd jobs, but now she's in charge of managing cleaner number 22.

No matter what, she was a minor leader.

The cleaning department has a special rest room in a corner on the fourth floor. Ye Baoling still works in the logistics department, but she would go to the rest room to stroll around when she had nothing to do, and occasionally go upstairs to check the cleanliness.

She prepared a mask in case she encountered the Ye family.

However, she tries to avoid going up to the 30th floor, so the chances of encountering the Ye family are still very low.

The first meeting was on Monday afternoon.

She mainly wanted to get to know the cleaners on each floor, and to build rapport, she even bought egg tarts and soft drinks for afternoon tea.

Those who come to do cleaning work are all working people from the bottom of society. They are generally older, averaging over forty years old. There are both men and women, but there are more women.

The grassroots population is highly polarized.

Some people, because of their poor background, are too honest and kind, and spend their whole lives working hard to support their families.

Some are cunning and dishonest, failing in every job they do, and having nowhere else to go, they have no choice but to become cleaners to make a living.

The 22 people were divided into two groups: Group A consisted of floors 1-14, and Group B consisted of floors 15-30.

Each of the two groups has a group leader.

In a simple, short meeting, Ye Baoling chatted with them while making notes on each person to help her quickly get to know them.

The person who drew the circle is an ordinary, kind person who is relatively easy to get along with.

Those who are marked with a horizontal line are either troublemakers or slippery people; they are all difficult to deal with.

But these are just initial impressions; she will not differentiate between these cleaning colleagues based on the characteristics she marks.

Before the meeting adjourned, Ye Baoling said, "If you encounter any difficulties at work, you can give me feedback in a timely manner, and we will find ways to solve them together."

"Is it a problem if I haven't received a raise in two years?" The person who asked this question was the only one wearing glasses, named Sister Tong.

“What’s the point of talking to her! She’s a complete newbie!” This fifty-year-old swearing uncle is called Ah-Cai, and he’s the troublemaker she’s marked with a line.

Ye Baoling glanced at Ah Cai and said, "I don't need to worry about your salary, do I?"

Ah Cai was stunned for a moment; he hadn't expected the little girl to directly target him.

He didn't believe Ye Baoling could solve the salary increase problem, and just sneered, "Take it or leave it."

"Okay, I'll take care of the others' salary increases. I won't worry about Uncle Cai's." Ye Baoling closed her notebook and called the two team leaders out.

As soon as she stepped out, Uncle Cai deliberately complained loudly to the people around him: "Thinks she's something special! Damn girl! The new manager just dumped her here, does she think she's been promoted? She's all talk and no action! She won't even know how she died."

Sister Tong retorted, "Shut up! Your mouth stinks."

*

Ye Baoling invited the two team leaders to chat in a small meeting room in the office area.

They asked why they hadn't received a raise in two years.

The leader of Group A, who was in charge of sanitation at the lower level, was Liao Zhihui, who was in his forties and was a sly and cunning man.

He speaks very tactfully and flawlessly.

He said, "We applied, but the company didn't approve it."

When was the application submitted?

"Around the Lunar New Year this year."

"What's the reason? Why wasn't it approved?"

"I don't know, there's no reason."

Ye Baoling didn't believe it. "There's no reason why you didn't ask?"

Liao Zhihui sighed, "They're just passing the buck, there's never been a proper response. We have no say in the matter."

Liao Zhihui is definitely passing the buck; he knows or has guessed the reason but isn't saying it.

Ye Baoling silently marked him with three lines, which meant he was a level three sly.

She looked at Qi Xiaofeng, the leader of Group B. She was a little worried that Qi Xiaofeng might have some kind of nepotism with Qi Yuxiu.

After all, Ye Qingtang is a stronghold of connections.

Qi Xiaofeng was in her forties, and her face looked quite honest.

She shook her head and said, "I asked Sister Mei before, and she said she had tried to help us, but we haven't been able to."

Ye Baoling: "I've looked through the personnel files of our cleaning department. In the past two years, only one employee has left the entire cleaning department. That employee left because of illness. Since the company hasn't given you a raise for two years, why hasn't anyone resigned?"

Moreover, the salary of Ye Qingtang's cleaners is not very high in the industry, and the workload is also quite good.

What exactly is Ye Qingtang's charm that makes everyone so devoted and unwilling to leave?

Liao Zhihui thought for a moment and said, "It's stable. As long as you work hard, the company won't fire you. It's not easy for everyone to find a job and support their families."

Ye Baoling pressed on, "Isn't there any other reason?"

Qi Xiaofeng smiled and said, "It's probably quite leisurely."

Liao Qizhi: "Of course your Group B is relaxed upstairs. Our Group A is downstairs, with more people and more things to do, how can we be relaxed?"

Qi Xiaofeng smiled awkwardly: "Your Group A is indeed working quite hard."

Clearly, Qi Xiaofeng was giving way to Liao Qizhi when she spoke.

Liao Qizhi calmed down as well: "It's all hard work. How could cleaning work not be hard?"

The conversation yielded no results.

Ye Baoling returned to her office and quietly asked Wang Simin, "What's the relationship between the cleaning team leader Qi Xiaofeng and Manager Qi?"

Wang Simin smiled mysteriously and leaned closer, saying, "You've come to the right person."

Ye Baoling quickly stepped forward to listen to what she had to say.

"On the surface, they seem to have no relation, but in reality, they are relatives. Last year, one day after work, I left my keys at the company and turned back to get them. I happened to see Qi Xiaofeng taking the steamed cakes she made herself to Manager Qi's office. Manager Qi had to work overtime that day."

"It's normal for subordinates to give their superiors steamed cakes."

"That's normal. When Qi Xiaofeng left, she thought no one was in the office. She told Manager Qi that if his aunt liked it, she would make it again next time. Qi Xiaofeng probably called Manager Qi's mother 'aunt.' In any case, they are relatives. We don't know how close they are."

Ye Baoling roughly understood.

It seems she was right.

Ye Qingtang's persona as a hub for cronies remains intact.

But just now, Liao Qizhi directly and bluntly retorted to Qi Xiaofeng, and Qi Xiaofeng still gave in to him.

Why?

Is Liu Kai-chi also a nepotism case? Does he have a stronger backer?

Ye Baoling asked, "What about Liao Qizhi?"

Wang Simin ate some dried mango, then shook her head: "I don't know about this. Want some?"

Ye Baoling took the dried mango from Wang Simin and continued, "On the first day of the meeting, they told me that they haven't had a raise in two years. Do you know why?"

Wang Simin didn't know much about the cleaning department's work. "There seems to be a reason. Sister Mei knows. You can ask her."

Mei-jie wasn't in the office at that time; she didn't return until almost the end of the workday.

Sister Mei went to the nearby vegetable market to buy groceries, carrying half a chicken and a bunch of bok choy in a plastic bag.

After the cleaning work was handed over to Ye Baoling, she had some free time.

This situation is even more like that of a state-owned enterprise than a state-owned enterprise itself.

Mei was busy packing her things to go home. When Ye Baoling asked her, she said, "Don't bother with them."

"Why?"

"They collect all the company's cardboard boxes, and the money they make each month is more than their salary increases. Otherwise, why don't they quit?"

I see.

Ye Baoling then asked, "How much cardboard does the company produce each month? How are they distributed?"

Sister Mei put the keys in her pocket. "I didn't care about that. The money was divided up by the two group leaders. Oh, I'm leaving now, I need to catch the bus."

After Sister Mei left, Uncle Yuan turned off the radio and softly advised Ye Baoling, "The best way to deal with these people is to turn a blind eye, have more tea when you have time, and mind your own business."

Ye Baoling gave him a thumbs up, "Uncle Yuan, you're truly a wise man!"

Uncle Yuan smiled smugly.

He picked up the radio and walked outside, saying, "Listen to me, the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make."

If you just eat and drink without contributing, drift through life and wait to die, your life will pass by in no time.

Ye Baoling also wanted to live a carefree life like this, but neither her circumstances nor her abilities allowed it.

Gu Man'er is working overtime today, so the two of them can't go home together.

Ye Baoling organized the information and planned to go directly back to the mansion at No. 3 Qingtang Street.

As is my habit after get off work, I took the stairs. When I got to the corner on the third floor, I ran into Aunt Jiang, a cleaner from Group B, who was collecting trash cans.

Aunt Jiang called out to her, "Miss Gu! Miss Gu!"

Ye Baoling stopped and asked, "Is there something you need, Aunt Jiang?"

"I know it's hard to get a raise, could you transfer me to Group A?"

"Why do you want to go to Group A?" Ye Baoling asked curiously. Isn't Group A more demanding?

Aunt Jiang said somewhat embarrassedly, "Although Group A works harder, they get more points."

"Which area receives the most?"

"The money from selling cardboard. Every month, the people in Group A get more money than us in Group B."

Taking the opportunity, Ye Baoling asked, "How much money can you make from cardboard each month?"

Yulong Building doesn't have a supermarket or shopping mall; it's just an ordinary office building. How much cardboard could there be from office supplies? Even if you include other recyclable bottles and cans, it wouldn't be much. For everyone to stay here so devotedly, it must be a considerable amount.

Aunt Jiang: "I don't know how much. Last month I only received 80 yuan. I heard that Group A received at least 30 yuan more than us. The group leader receives more. Anyway, he gets at least two thousand yuan a month for paper money."

How much does cardboard cost per pound?

"It's about 5 cents a sheet of paper. I heard they take it directly to the recycling station, where it's more expensive."

If it's 50 cents per pound, then you'd need to sell 4,000 pounds of cardboard to earn 2,000 yuan.

Does Yulong Building generate 4,000 jin (2,000 catties) of cardboard every month?

impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

Ye Baoling frowned slightly: "Why are there so many cardboard boxes in our building?"

Aunt Jiang: "You're new here, of course you wouldn't know. We're also responsible for the sanitation of Warehouse No. 2 in the West District. We work in shifts every month, and each person goes there once. Warehouse No. 2 is a raw material warehouse, and there's a lot of cardboard every month."

"In other words, the company won't give you a raise, but every month they'll give you the cardboard from Yulong Building and Warehouse No. 2 as payment for your wages."

"Yes," Aunt Jiang muttered softly, "I also hope the company will just give us a raise. How much cardboard can be sold for is up to the two team leaders. They can say 50 or 100 and it's 50 or 100. In the off-season, there's less cardboard, so we get even less. Liao Zhihui has connections; he's more powerful than our team leader. Anyway, the employees in Team B suffer the most."

Ye Baoling had a rough idea of ​​what was going on, and she asked, "Whose relative is Liao Zhihui?"

Aunt Jiang glanced around and whispered, "I heard it from someone else. They said that Brother Hui is the administrative director's cousin."

I understand.

Previously, Manager Qian had even considered filing a complaint against the Administrative Director for having an illicit relationship with Qi Yuxiu.

In short, it's all about interests.

Ye Baoling: "Aunt Jiang, regarding your request to switch groups, I need to first understand the specific arrangements for the staff on both sides. I will give you an answer in a while."

"Okay, thank you, Ms. Gu."

*

As the sun began to set, Zheng Junni stood by her bedroom window making a phone call.

Ah Feng said on the other end of the phone, "My dad and my sister watched them learn how to pick locks and they both felt that the young lady and that hoodlum had a special relationship."

Zheng Junni snorted coldly: "She fooled us this time. She even got a car. As for the old man, he's afraid that he might actually find something to hold against her. A warning is enough. If things get out of hand, her reputation will suffer, and he's worried she won't be able to get married."

Ah Feng: "What do we do now? We need to find someone..."

Zheng Junni interrupted her: "Never mind that. My pregnancy is progressing further, let's take care of us first. Actually, it's better for you to go back this time, you'll have more freedom and it will be easier for you to do things. Have you gone to see them over there?"

Ah Feng replied, "I went to see her this afternoon. Her due date might be a few days later. I've already spoken with the doctor, and we'll arrange for the woman to be admitted to the hospital first, and we'll have C-sections on both sides at the same time."

Zheng Junni felt a little uneasy: "I hope nothing goes wrong."

Ah Feng: "No, Yun Jie and I have already made arrangements. The woman will return to the mainland after giving birth. At that time, Yun Jie will take the one who isn't good for you with her. If she's still alive, we'll send her to Southeast Asia."

Zheng Junni's eyes welled up with tears. She licked her lips and said, "It's all my fault for being so unlucky. If only he were healthy."

Ah Feng comforted her, "Sister Junni, don't be sad. We can still arrange for you to meet in the future."

Zheng Junni didn't want to see him; she wished she could smother the child to death so he wouldn't have to suffer in this world.

"And what if he's healthy?" Ah Feng added.

No way, this doctor is her classmate, her classmate would lie to her.

Moreover, she secretly went to other hospitals for examinations, but there was no hope.

At that moment, Ye Baoxin came out of the basement downstairs and happened to see Gong Jiahua carrying a paper bag and walking towards Yilanju.

"Hey!" she called out to him.

Gong Jiahua turned around and saw Ye Baoxin. He quickly smiled and said, "Hey! You just got back?"

"Yes. Just got off work."

Gong Jiahua looked at her feet: "Are your feet better?"

"Alright. You've come looking for Leqiong again?"

Gong Jiahua: "I did want to come see you, but you're always at work and never home. How about we go? I brought some wine, let's go out for a drink."

Ye Baoxin asked, "You're a large group of people again?"

"Seven or eight, most of them you know. Let's play cards, have a BBQ, and drink together! Come on, it'll be more fun with more people."

After thinking for a moment, Ye Baoxin stopped being reserved and followed him.

"Let's see how you guys make a scene."

Yilanju has a separate side door for entry and exit from the other side. When they went in, they found a group of people already sitting in the RV waiting.

*

It was a rare occasion for Ye Baoling to return to the third branch of the family for dinner, and there weren't many people dining together today.

The men are all working overtime and socializing outside, leaving only the elderly, women, and children at home.

Yang Pinxian was in a great mood ever since she helped Ye Huaizhang deal with Granny Tong. Of course, this was inseparable from Ye Baoling's ingenious plan, so her affection for Ye Baoling was completely from the bottom of her heart.

She couldn't help but put food on her daughter-in-law's plate: "Come back for meals more often in the future. It'll save you from traveling back and forth between two or three places, which is too tiring. You still have to go to work during the day."

Aunt Tang Jing asked curiously, "Ah Ling, I heard you work as a clerk at Ye Qingtang. Why don't you ask your grandfather to arrange a better position for you?"

Grandma Guan said, "She relied on her own abilities, worked hard and steadily, and started from the bottom. Her grandfather knew nothing about it. You mustn't spread rumors outside."

The old lady wasn't worried about her eldest and second daughters-in-law; she was only worried about her fourth daughter-in-law's tendency to gossip.

Tang Jing smiled and said, "Mom, don't worry, how could we possibly go around saying such things?"

Although Aunt Ye Jinliu has not worked since getting married, she knows a lot. She said, "There are advantages to starting from the bottom. Many things may not be understood by middle and senior management. Only when you have been at the bottom will you understand the underlying logic of the company."

Ye Baoling nodded repeatedly: "Auntie is right."

Ye Yongqi laughed and said, "After I graduate from university, I also want to work at Hong Kong Tong Holdings and start from the bottom."

Tang Jing teased her, "Oh dear, can you, a young lady like you, endure this hardship? Would your sister-in-law bear to let you suffer like this? I'm afraid she'll have to follow behind you with a handkerchief to wipe your sweat."

Ye Yongqi said coquettishly, "I wouldn't do that."

Everyone was amused.

After dinner, Old Madam Guan wanted to play mahjong, so Ye Baoling, Ye Jinliu, and Tang Jing played with her.

When Ye Huaizhang returned at 9 o'clock, Old Madam Guan remembered that today was the fifth seven-day period since they had shared a room together, and that they would be drinking the wedding wine that evening, so she tactfully said she was tired and called it a day.

Ye Jinliu teased her, "Mom, you win money and then run away."

"If you win money and don't run away, you're a fool."

Everyone laughed and said, "That old lady is shrewd!"

They played very small stakes; even though Old Lady Kwan won the most, it was still less than 100 Hong Kong dollars.

But the joy of winning money while playing cards is something that other forms of entertainment can't provide.

Ye Baoling practiced boxing with Yulan for another half hour before returning to her room.

On the way, they encountered Yang Pinxian, who was bringing them a celebratory wine with her old servant.

Upon opening the door, Ye Huaizhang was taking a shower in the bathroom. Ye Baoling said, "Mom, you should go back to your room and rest first. I'll keep an eye on him while he drinks."

Yang Pinxian trusts them now. "Then you should get some rest and not watch TV too late."

"knew."

After seeing Yang Pinxian off, Ye Baoling noticed several jewelry boxes on the bedside table.

Upon closer inspection, a check was found on the top jewelry box, secured by a tiger and pig plush toy.

She picked up the check and examined it closely; it was a reward of one million yuan given to her by Ye Huaizhang.

He did not deduct the 80,000 yuan that she had spent on his credit card.

Looking at the million-dollar check, I felt calm and undisturbed.

That's it. Ever since I started making money, my threshold for excitement has increased. One million won't tempt her at all.

On second thought, a million was an unexpected windfall she earned with her brains. She could live a carefree life for at least a few years, indulging in delicious food, beautiful clothes, and so on...

While her mind was still working, her hands were already opening one jewelry box after another.

It is a complete set of diamond jewelry.

Diamond rings, earrings, bracelets, necklaces...

Her heart pounded as she looked at the expensive jewelry.

Her threshold for surprise soared with her happiness.

Was it given to her by Ye Huaizhang?

She put the ring on her finger; the diamond was very sparkly and large, I wonder how many carats it was!

The diamond in the necklace pendant is even bigger!!

Even if she knew nothing about jewelry, she could roughly guess that this set of jewelry was more valuable than the check on the table.

How much is the whole set worth?

The bathroom door opened, and Ye Huaizhang came out after taking a shower.

When he came out, he saw the Heqin wine on the table, and his thoughts were somewhat complicated.

He dislikes the feeling of being controlled by external things.

Looking up at her trying on a ring, I said, "The ring was custom-made to fit your finger size."

How did you know the size of my fingers?

One morning, when I took the red thread to measure it, he didn't say anything, but only said, "This ring isn't really suitable for everyday wear; the set next to it is more suitable."

Ye Baoling opened another jewelry box, inside which was a pair of very simple platinum wedding rings, one large and one small, one for him and one for her.

The wedding rings have no jewel settings, which suits her aesthetic and is also suitable for everyday wear.

She likes this.

Of course, if she could only choose one of the two rings, she would definitely choose the more expensive one, because the diamond is big and valuable enough.

People are just that realistic.

He said, "Tell me when you can wear these rings."

Ye Baoling smiled; she wasn't sure when either.

She softened her voice and said, "Honey, could you tell me how much this jewelry set is worth? I'm very curious."

Wiping his watch with a towel, he glanced at her and said without keeping her in suspense, "Our Gezhi Jewelry's cost price is over five million, but I don't remember the exact figure."

It would be more expensive on the market.

How much would five million be worth in this era, decades from now?

Ye Baoling's eyes widened; this was how her threshold was gradually raised.

"You've fallen for me?" she smiled.

Otherwise, why would they give away such expensive jewelry?

His hand paused, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly. Did he like her?

I hadn't thought about that.

Ye Huaizhang cleared his throat and said, "Thank you for finding a way to persuade Grandma. The investment in Dapeng Port is very important to me and the future of the third branch of the family. This set of diamond jewelry is what you deserve."

Ye Baoling smiled brightly. Although the future valuation of Dapeng Port is only a few hundred billion, the benefits it brings to shareholders are definitely more than just a few hundred billion.

This is the key to victory that allowed the third branch of the family to defeat the Li family.

"Then I'll gladly accept it."

If he says he likes her, she might not accept it.

But if it's just a thank-you gift, then she has to accept it; it's something she earned with her brains.

A new problem arises: "Honey, I have nowhere to put such valuable jewelry."

"You can put it in a safe."

Where is the safe?

Ye Huaizhang put down the towel. "Haven't you been going in and out many times?"

"!!!!!"

She went in and out many times...

-----------------------

Author's note: Ye Baoling: Let me sort this out.

Ye Huaizhang: It's alright, it's all yours.

There will be fewer updates today, but there will be small red envelopes (gifts) in the comments section of this chapter until the next update.