All who come and go are just passersby.
Huang Fuda remembers that the shoe cabinet was so eye-catching that it was hard not to notice it.
“I love how they look on other men, so before, I worked in various shoe stores, kneeling on the ground to help them try on shoes. It gave me a lot of satisfaction…”
The trousers were pressed with sharp edges, the toes of the leather shoes gleamed, and the guest spoke in a condescending tone.
All of this fascinated him.
With each breath, it felt as if the tip of his nose was once again enveloped by that rich leather scent; he gasped for breath, indulging in it.
"During the trial period, there were bound to be some things that were very attractive to me. If I couldn't help but react, I would be discovered and then fired."
"After being laid off by one company, I couldn't continue working near that shopping mall. The shops in the area are very well-connected. I changed jobs several times, and when I had nowhere else to go, Changhua Plaza was built in Laowa District, so I went there again."
"The time I ran into Mr. Gui was at Changhua Plaza. It was my last part-time job. While I was helping him try on shoes, I couldn't resist, and then he noticed."
“He was very angry and slapped me on the spot, but then he thought it would get his hands dirty and wiped them several times with a wet wipe. He must have been thinking about how he was still angry when he got home, which is why he did this this time.”
Fang Chuan sat up, removed Huang Fuda's hand from his face, and leaned down to stare into Huang Fuda's eyes: "Do you know why I clung to you the first time we met?"
"That day at the banquet hall, you were wearing a pair of red-soled leather shoes. I really wish it was you who stepped on my toes and broke them."
He lowered his head and pressed his lips against Huang Fuda's not-so-clear eyes, eyes that were deep and cold, but were always hidden by his half-long hair or the fake smile on his lips.
Fang Chuan murmured softly.
"Please, have mercy on me..."
Fang Chuan, slightly drunk, gently kissed Huang Fuda's eyebrows and eyelids. His hand rested on Huang Fuda's shirt collar, sliding down the curves of his muscles, and finally landed on Huang Fuda's belt buckle. Just as he was about to unbuckle it, he was kicked away.
He slumped to the ground, watching Huang Fuda approach, reeking of alcohol. With each step closer, Huang's excitement grew.
"If you had said so earlier, I would never have used you." Huang Fuda stopped in front of Fang Chuan, one hand in his pocket, slightly bent over. His tall figure cast Fang Chuan's entire body in his shadow.
Fang Chuan looked up at him, his eyes filled with fascination, and smiled: "So I only said this because I had no other choice."
He pressed his face against Huang Fuda's calf, sliding down little by little, constantly begging him, until finally he knelt down in front of Huang Fuda, rubbing his face against Huang Fuda's shoes like a puppy.
Huang Fuda frowned, shook him off, and sat down on the edge of the bed. His head was already a little dizzy from drinking, and Fang Chuan's antics made him even more agitated.
The scene before him was blurry and unpredictable. He took a cigarette out of his pocket, lit it, and tried to clear his head.
But Fang Chuan didn't give him a chance to regain his senses. He knelt down in front of Huang Fuda, wrapped his arms tightly around Huang Fuda's waist, and rested his head on Huang Fuda's lap.
Huang Fuda tore off Fang Chuan's plaster-like hands, raised his foot and stomped on Fang Chuan's chest, knocking him to the ground.
Fang Chuan suddenly gasped for breath, his large breasts slowly bulging, his eyes filled with ecstasy. He wasn't a good drinker, and fearing he might cause trouble for Huang Fuda again, he hadn't dared to pretend to be drunk. He had genuinely been forced to drink a lot and was truly intoxicated.
He looked up with teary eyes and pleaded, "Brother, please, have mercy on me..."
He crawled closer again, lying on Huang Fuda's feet. The smell of leather seemed more intoxicating than ever before, and he stuck out his tongue and licked it gently.
Huang Fuda stared at Fang Chuanyan's bright red tongue, his breath hitched, and a ticklish sensation shot from the tip of his shoe to the tip of his heart. He felt hot all over, and his already unclear mind became even more muddled.
He was completely immersed in the passion, and the two of them were drunk all night.
Headache and stinging eyes. Fang Chuan vaguely heard the sound of water, opened his eyes groggily, and seeing no one beside him, got out of bed and walked to the bathroom door. His knees were bruised and throbbing. Leaning against the wall, he thought of the drinking party last night and said to Huang Fuda, who was washing up, "I messed things up, didn't I?"
Huang Fuda spat out the toothpaste foam in his mouth, rinsed his face, and felt the icy water seep into his bones from his skin.
He was just a small business owner with a few hotels, unlike Gui Han, a local philanthropist who gave away money. Gui Han's attitude at the drinking party made it clear that no one in City B would help him.
He just didn't expect that Gui Han wouldn't even give Yun Ge face.
Yung is a businessman; unlike the old man, he wouldn't help him out of past friendship. Besides, he's always disliked him, so the fact that he's even willing to introduce him is already a great favor.
Yun Ge is determined not to get involved in this matter anymore; Huang Fuda has already used up all his valuable connections.
He glanced at Fang Chuan through the mirror in front of him and said, "You don't need to come tomorrow. I will pay you your salary in full for the whole month."
Fang Chuan had guessed that Huang Fuda wouldn't keep such a troublesome person around. He also knew he was in the wrong and had no face to stay by Huang Fuda's side, at least not as a subordinate.
The two didn't speak again, silently washing up, their clothes scattered everywhere on and under the bed.
Huang Fuda sat on the edge of the bed, bent down to put on his shoes, saw the white spots on them, and calmly wiped them with a tissue.
I will have nothing to do with this crazy little thing anymore.
Upon arriving at the Cloud Island headquarters, the car slowly came to a stop.
Fang Chuan stood stiffly, unwilling to turn around, unwilling to get out of the car, unwilling to leave. He wanted to say something more, but couldn't utter a word. His mind was in turmoil; was it really going to end like this?
As I was pondering this, I heard Huang Fuda's words behind me, which were devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
"Give the keys to my assistant in a bit. You can come to HR on a weekday to discuss your resignation."
He had important things to do and didn't have time to think about these miscellaneous things like Fang Chuan.
On the way back, he had already notified his superiors that there would be a meeting, and as soon as he got out of the car, he went straight to the meeting room. He strode away calmly and steadily, leaving the car and the people inside behind without a second thought.
Inside the meeting room, Huang Fuda omitted Fang Chuan's story and gave a general account of what had happened.
The atmosphere was heavy, and no one spoke for a long time.
An older man broke the silence, saying with great concern, "It's not in the system, and the old contracts are lost. If those people report us now, we'll be in big trouble..."
"Is Old Liu still unconscious in the hospital?" Huang Fuda asked.
Lin Xiting shook his head at him: "But the matter of the camera has been resolved. It was found that Shengxiang was behind it. The police also issued a notice, but only said that an outsider installed it, without mentioning Shengxiang."
Huang Fuda closed his eyes and pondered for a moment, then said calmly, "It's alright, just sever ties with Yun Island."
Although Shengxiang currently only has 3 hotels in Xianye, it is a large domestic enterprise. It can crush Yundao like an ant, and Shengxiang cannot afford to offend it.
Moreover, Sheng Xiang clearly has connections in Xianye, and those connections are even superior to Director Yang. Once Huang Fuda realized this, he couldn't help but recall what Yun Ge had said to him in the kitchen last time.
Currently, only Shengxiang has made a move; the other major companies haven't made any significant moves yet. It's unclear who orchestrated Lao Liu's affair.
Huang Fuda was wavering; following Yun Ge would obviously be safer. But he decided to wait and see.
Afterwards, Lin Xiting went to his office alone to see him.
"Mr. Huang, please let me think about what I talked to you about last time."
She considered it, and Huang Fuda was initially her best choice. He did treat her well, personally guiding her through various matters and even paying for her to study for an MBA.
But over the years she has seen through him. Huang Fuda does have some outstanding qualities, but he cannot leave the Yun family behind him, nor can he leave Xianye. He dares not go out.
If they had gradually expanded outwards in the early years, they wouldn't be in this predicament now, surrounded by several competitors.
Today's events only strengthened her resolve; she couldn't afford to waste time with Yun Island.
During her MBA studies, she encountered a different world and all sorts of people, and in terms of both personal perspective and underlying strength, she was far superior to Huang Fuda.
Huang Fuda was no longer the only one who appreciated her; when others extended offers to her, she would feel she would be doing herself a disservice if she didn't accept them.
She had been working at Yundao for six years and felt she had repaid all the debts of gratitude. She couldn't possibly stick with a dying company all the way down the same path.
“I still want to leave,” she said, placing a document on Huang Fuda’s desk. “Sign this, and once Lao Liu’s matter is settled, I’ll prepare the paperwork to leave.”
"It's been 6 years, Xiting."
Lin Xiting thought Huang Fuda was going to try to persuade her again, and was about to speak to stop him, but she didn't expect that he wasn't.
“You’ve contributed to the development of Yundao to this point, and I can’t let you leave empty-handed,” he said, putting the contract aside. “Get a lawyer later, and I’ll give you the South District branch that’s been taken off Yundao.”
He's always like this: ruthless to himself, yet easily soft-hearted towards others.
Lin Xiting's eyes were red, but she didn't shed tears like before.
She recalled the time when she first met Huang Fuda, a naive and clueless young man who said his family member was sick and needed a lot of money for medical expenses, begging him for a job. Back then, she had the same tears in her eyes.
But people always have to live for themselves. Gratitude is important, but she herself is even more important. Even without Lin Xiting, Huang Fuda has someone else by his side.
"Thank you, Mr. Huang. If there's anything I can do to help in the future, I will do my best." She bowed deeply to Huang Fuda behind the desk and turned to leave.
The office door closed, and the room returned to silence.
Huang Fuda walked to the window and looked down at the city from the high-rise building. He had spent 15 years here, watching the old brick and tile bungalows turn into small buildings, and then watching the small buildings be demolished and replaced by scattered high-rises. Now, he saw that it was about to change again, but he always had a feeling that he couldn't wait any longer.
The Cloud Island store across from the office building was the first one he built, and he watched the people coming and going downstairs.
We are all just passing through.
Fang Chuan was downstairs at that moment, leaning against a telephone pole, looking up at Huang Fuda's office window. But he couldn't see anything except the reflection of the sky.
It was noon, and the sun was scorching. After standing for a while, the young man moved his legs, as if he was tired of standing, and then squatted down again. It was unclear how long he repeated these two movements.
Two hours have passed since I got off the bus, and he's been waiting downstairs the whole time?
Huang Fuda frowned, somewhat agitated. He lit a cigarette and let out a long sigh.
After finishing this cigarette, I'll sit back down and get back to work.
He told himself that.
Just as he was about to finish his cigarette, he saw the young man below answer a phone call, seemingly a little impatient. Fang Chuan looked up and gazed at him through the window. After a moment, he reluctantly left.
Huang Fuda watched him leave, took a deep drag of his last cigarette into his lungs, and then sighed, "Time to get back to work."
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