Chapter 33 Not just biting, but sucking!
After Ye Huaizhang said that he knew she had been in and out many times, Ye Baoling's brain went blank for a few seconds.
He's talking about a locked room?!
Therefore, he always knew she was going in and out of the secret room!
Ouch.
It felt like being caught red-handed by the owner while doing something wrong.
She was still putting on an act in front of him, pretending that she hadn't stolen anything.
No, she can't show that she's guilty.
If she feels guilty, then she will be at a disadvantage in terms of presence.
She pretended to be nonchalant and said, "A dilapidated secret room, where would there be a safe? There is, however, a statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva."
"This means your skills are not deep enough."
Ye Huaizhang got up and walked ahead.
Ye Baoling quickly followed.
She went in and out of the secret room so many times, how come she didn't find a safe?
Arriving at a row of mirrors in the dressing room, Ye Huaizhang opened the wardrobe door behind the central mirror.
The wardrobe contained small wooden compartments for ties and socks. He reached out and pressed down hard on the top and bottom wooden boards of the fifth empty compartment on the left.
After the two palm-sized wooden boards slowly closed, they were pulled outwards, and the bottom of the wardrobe opened outwards like a door.
Ye Baoling spotted the Guanyin statue in the secret room at a glance.
From this angle, the Guanyin statue is placed precisely in the center.
There was another door here!
He said, "You won't need to crawl through that hole anymore. It's a spare door."
Ye Baoling: "!!!"
He was practically saying that place was a dog hole.
"You're the one who's crawling through holes."
He turned to look at her: "I've never crawled through one, but you've probably crawled through quite a few."
After saying that, he immediately praised, "That's already very impressive. No one else has ever discovered that there's a spare door there before."
Upon entering the inner chamber, he reached out and turned the second Vajra statue next to Guanyin Bodhisattva.
Then, the statue lit up—it was a lamp!
She's really wasted all those times she's been to this place.
After turning on the lights, he removed two thick red English books from the middle bookshelf. The walls inside were made of black and white painted steel panels.
She knows that.
The first time she came in, she took out these books and looked at them. She knew that the wall was a row of black and white steel plates, like piano keys.
Ye Huaizhang extended his right hand and pressed four keys on the wooden board at the same time.
He reminded them: "Watch my hand gestures carefully. The first key on the left is the index finger, the second white key on the left cannot be pressed, and the three keys on the right are pressed simultaneously with the other fingers..."
It really is based on the principle of piano keys.
Ye Baoling held out her palm and gestured, "My hands aren't that big."
"You can use both hands at the same time."
"Why don't you just say the second white key on the left can't be pressed? Why do you have to say the first white key on the left is for the index finger?"
Ye Huaizhang: "..."
He exerted force with his hands, and the bookshelf slowly moved to both sides, creating a two-foot-wide space.
"It's the same five keys, but this time the white key from the right can't be pressed."
Ye Huaizhang pressed the button again, and the black and white steel plates on the wall rolled up like curtains, revealing three safes inside.
The safe was actually inside the wall.
Ye Baoling asked, "Was that ugly jade pendant you hid here before?"
"yes."
She couldn't find what she was looking for, even though it was right under her nose.
Remembering that even Old Madam Guan hadn't found the Ugly Prince Jue, she couldn't help but ask again, "Didn't Grandma and the others know there was a safe here?"
"Grandpa should have just told me that they didn't know."
So, if she hadn't wandered into the secret room herself, he probably wouldn't have told her there was a safe there.
Ye Huaizhang pointed to the safe in the middle: "I've already cleared this out, you can use it. You can reset the password."
He taught her how to use this old-fashioned combination lock.
When Ye Baoling asked him to bring in the jewelry box, she quickly changed the password.
If that's the case, then wouldn't only Ye Huaizhang know about the wine cellar in the tunnel?
Oh!
He had previously told her in a serious tone that he didn't have a wine cellar at home.
fraud!
After locking up the jewelry and restoring the bookshelf, Ye Baoling tentatively asked, "Are there any other mechanisms here?"
That's all. This is it.
Ye Baoling remained silent, secretly giving him a thousand scornful glances.
After tidying up and returning to his bedroom, Ye Huaizhang hesitated for a moment when faced with the Heqin wine on the table.
This drink tormented him badly last time; he developed PTSD, but he couldn't show it, so he just picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp.
Ye Baoling drank it heartily, but this time it seemed spicier than before. She felt dizzy and a little hot after drinking it.
"Are you hot?" she asked.
Ye Huaizhang shook his head: "It's not hot."
Strangely enough, the wine didn't burn my throat at all, and I didn't feel hot after drinking it.
Did he become desensitized after the ordeal he went through last time?
Seeing his wife's flushed face, he asked, "Are you hot?"
Ye Baoling denied it: "I'm not hot."
"Go to sleep early, I have to meet a guest early tomorrow morning." After saying that, he pulled the covers up, rested his head on his arm, and quietly fell asleep.
Ye Baoling: "..."
Not tonight?
She had planned it all out; she was going to bite back tonight and leave a mark on his chest.
As a result, he went on strike!
She had noticed it last time; he had a strange kind of restraint about him.
The first time it might have had a positive effect, which was an exception; it was done three times in a row.
On Saturday, he was in excellent form, but he only used a small quadrilateral, and then it ended in a bang.
So, how long does he plan to use a whole drawer of it?
Fortunately, the effects of the herbal wine weren't too great, and she fell asleep soon after.
*
Knock knock knock!
Someone knocked on the door.
Zhang Laichi quickly pulled his feet back from the office chair. "E in!"
Ye Baoling pushed open the office door. "Manager Zhang, you wanted to see me?"
Zhang Laichi asked her to sit down before saying, "Some people have complained that the men's restrooms on the 7th and 9th floors are often not cleaned in time, and there are urine stains everywhere; the cigarette butts behind the fire door on the 15th floor have not been cleaned for two days. Find out who is in charge, and you will have your salary deducted this month."
"Oh," Ye Baoling replied, then asked, "How much salary will be deducted?"
Zhang Laichi shrugged: "That depends on their attitude towards correcting their mistakes. If they correct them well, they'll get fewer deductions; if they don't, they'll get more."
"What are the criteria for good revisions?" Ye Baoling opened her notebook, waiting for Zhang Laichi to speak, intending to write it down.
Zhang Laichi was taken aback; he hadn't expected Ye Baoling to ask such detailed questions.
How would he know what the standard for good revisions is? It all depends on the leader's mood.
He chuckled and said, "You'll figure it out yourselves."
Ye Baoling repeated: "Is the standard for good revisions something we figure out ourselves?"
“Smart people can understand it. If you can’t understand it, then let them understand it.”
What an idiot boss.
Ye Baoling cursed inwardly, but still had a smile on her face as she continued to ask, "What if I don't understand it and don't correct it well? How much salary will be deducted?"
Are you determined to get to the bottom of this?
Zhang Laichi was getting impatient. "Doesn't the cleaning department have work standards? Deduct the fees according to the standards."
Ye Baoling, who had long been familiar with the cleaning department's work guidelines, said, "The cleaning department has work guidelines, but there is no clause about deducting wages in the work guidelines."
Zhang Laichi, suppressing his anger, said, "You tell them to fix it first. If they can't fix it, then we can discuss how much to deduct from their wages, okay? Don't you know how to do your job?!"
After successfully provoking the other party, Ye Baoling smiled and said, "I understand. I will explain the situation to everyone truthfully. If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."
Zhang Laichi thought to himself, "I'll put up with you for two more days."
He waved his hand, "Go out."
After leaving the supervisor's office, Ye Baoling returned to her seat and asked Sister Mei, "Has anyone in the cleaning department had their wages deducted before?"
Sister Mei shook her head: "No. What's wrong? Whose wages are being deducted? They're all low-level workers. They'd fight tooth and nail if you deducted ten or eight yuan. Who would dare deduct their wages?"
What happens if the hygiene isn't done properly and doesn't meet standards?
“We’re not a hotel here, so the hygiene standards aren’t that high. If they don’t do a good job, you can tell them a couple of times and they’ll change. But if they keep doing it, we can only find a reason to fire them. But that’s rare. In all my years in this position, I’ve only encountered one case: a prisoner who was lazy and difficult to communicate with. I fired him after two months.”
Ye Baoling roughly understood that Zhang Laichi had indeed deliberately created a difficult situation for her.
Sister Mei asked what happened.
Ye Baoling briefly recounted the hygiene complaint.
Sister Mei frowned slightly: "In the past, when someone complained about the administration department, they would just tell us briefly and that was it. We never made it this serious."
Wang Simin, who was listening nearby, secretly pulled Ye Baoling aside and whispered a reminder: "Be careful, they might cause you trouble out of nothing, turning a small matter into a big one."
Ye Baoling nodded, indicating, "I felt it."
She took out the cleaning department's work guidelines, ready to review them again.
Uncle Yuan asked, "Why haven't I seen Anan come to work these past two days?"
A colleague replied to him, "He took a week off."
"I don't know what's wrong with Anan lately. He's acting strangely and not working properly. His wife needs medical treatment. I'm afraid he'll starve to death and cause the house to become a stinking mess." Uncle Yuan shook his head helplessly.
Everyone felt that he had been behaving strangely lately, and they all started discussing it.
Ye Baoling pretended not to know anything and silently flipped through the documents in her hand.
During her lunch break, she skipped lunch and went directly to Lihua Securities to find Liu Haonan.
Chen Yulan was already waiting for her at the entrance of Lihua Building. "Cousin, have you eaten? I brought you a sandwich."
"Great! I was just worried I wouldn't have time to eat later. Which floor?"
"19th floor, 1903."
The two of them, each with a sandwich in their mouths, took the elevator up to the 19th floor.
Liu Haonan was already waiting with the homeowner in office 1903.
Today they are renting an office space to officially open their company.
Ye Baoling put away the unfinished sandwich.
The homeowner, Mr. Zeng, glanced at her; he hadn't expected the other party's boss to be such a young woman.
"Is this your boss?"
"Yes, my boss is Miss Gu."
Ye Baoling wears niche brands to work and carries mass-market handbags, making her look nothing like a wealthy person.
Mr. Zeng explained with a hint of disappointment: "300 square feet, the rent is 52 yuan per square foot per month, increasing by 10% every year."
That means the monthly rent is over 15,000!
So expensive?!
Ye Baoling, who had remained unmoved by the million-dollar check, was also surprised to see the amount.
She was very sensitive to business expenses and couldn't help but ask, "What's the cheapest price?"
Mr. Zeng shook his head: "This is the price all around, there's no room for negotiation."
"It's too expensive, we can't afford it."
Liu Haonan originally thought that Ye Baoling didn't care about this rent, after all, she had 20 million in her account and was preparing to move towards becoming a large investment company, so this rent was nothing.
But in his mind, the boss is king, and if the boss thinks it's expensive, then it's expensive.
He suggested, "How about we rent somewhere else? There are some cheaper office buildings in the North District. They're close to my home, but a bit far from the financial center."
The biggest advantage here is its proximity to Lihua Securities, making it convenient to place orders at any time.
Ye Baoling still prefers this place.
But she still said, "Sure, I can go take a look."
Seeing this, Mr. Zeng didn't try to stop him, but casually asked, "Do you want the 18th floor? I have a 260-square-foot unit on the 18th floor, in a corner, in a rather remote location, for only 10,000 yuan."
The low price of the 18th floor is not mainly due to its remote location, but rather because of its unlucky connotations, which makes it less desirable to rent.
"Let's go take a look."
Since waiting for the elevator would take time, they simply took the stairs down one floor.
This unit is number 1806, facing east, overlooking the mountains, with an unparalleled view.
Ye Baoling fell in love with it at first sight.
Mr. Zeng: "Facing south to see the sea, facing east to see the mountains. It's up to you to decide."
She prefers mountains to the sea.
Chen Yulan pulled her outside and whispered, "Cousin, the 18th level of hell... let's not go there."
If I don't go to hell, who will?
Ye Baoling is not afraid of this.
Her only concern was whether such a large price reduction would lead to other problems, such as property disputes.
Liu Haonan knew the real reason why the rent was so cheap. He said, "Last week, a man in apartment 1803 on the same floor committed suicide by jumping off the building because of a relationship."
Suicide due to love...
This is something Ye Baoling cannot understand.
She went back inside and said to Mr. Zeng, "I heard there was a death next door. It must be hard to rent out your unit now."
Mr. Zeng gave an awkward laugh: "It's the house two floors away, not mine. Besides, that person jumped to their death, not on our floor."
"The feng shui is bad; there's resentment and evil energy there."
“Miss Gu, I see that you have a blessed face, which can ward off these evil spirits.”
Ye Baoling smiled slightly: "8,000! No rent increase for three years. If possible, I'll sign the contract with you right now."
Mr. Zeng disagreed, saying, "10,000 is already the lowest price. 1802 and 1804 are both mine, and they were only rented out in May, which is about 50 yuan per square meter."
“That was the price in May, not now. The floor is bad, and there was a murder case, so it will be hard for you to rent this place out for the next two months. You might as well rent out as much as you can, it’s better than having it vacant, right? Only small businesses like ours that have just started up and don’t have much money would be willing to come here.” Ye Baoling’s tone was very gentle.
Since it's a bargaining game, the other party is going to lose out, so you can't put them at a disadvantage in terms of face.
After much hesitation, Mr. Zeng finally gritted his teeth and said, "8,000 is fine, but it will increase by 10% every year. This is the absolute lowest price I can offer. If you become successful in the future, this will be your lucky place."
The unit is small, and Ye Baoling wasn't sure if she would renew the lease next year. She nodded and smiled, "Thank you for your kind suggestion. Let's sign a one-year lease first, and if we renew after one year, the rent will increase by 10%. Is that okay?"
Mr. Zeng waved his hand: "Alright, alright, I thought you were renting for at least three years."
"It's already a great achievement that we can help you get through this most difficult year."
Ye Baoling quickly signed the contract and paid three months' rent.
There are two keys, one is with Liu Haonan, and the other is given to Chen Yulan.
After the landlord left, Ye Baoling took out a sandwich and continued eating: "Brother Nan, have you eaten?"
"A former colleague bought me three dishes for dinner. I'll go downstairs to eat later."
Ye Baoling: "Yulan will stay and help you. You can buy the desk and chair in the next couple of days."
Liu Haonan noticed Ye Baoling's frugal style and suggested at the right time: "Why don't we buy second-hand ones? A company on the 15th floor went bankrupt and their desks and chairs should be disposed of. I'll ask about it later."
"sure."
"Registering the company is not complicated. I asked my friend for help, but we need to decide on the company name first."
Ye Baoling had already checked the dictionary and decided, "Let's call it Qiyuan Investment."
Yuan means the beginning of all things, and also implies the first.
"This name is good; it's simple and elegant."
After they finished talking, Chen Yulan accompanied Ye Baoling downstairs. She said, "Cousin, my brother is looking for you. He wants you to call him back when you have time."
Ye Baoling called Wei Zaiqiang as soon as she returned to her office.
With the receiver clipped to her ear and shoulder, she took a pen from the pen holder and quickly jotted down the data that Wei Zaiqiang had mentioned on a sticky note.
After hanging up the phone, she frowned slightly as she looked at the numbers on the notepad. She immediately went upstairs to the Ye Qingtang herbal tea product department to verify the information with the relevant person in charge.
The herbal tea product department was on the 6th floor. She didn't take the elevator; she went straight up the stairs.
The product department office is quite large, and there weren't many people there since it was lunchtime and they had just started work.
Just then, a man in his thirties was copying documents at the copier. He didn't know how to use the copier and seemed quite flustered.
Ye Baoling went over to help, "How many copies do you need?"
"Three portions, thank you."
After making the copy, Ye Baoling asked him, "Is Uncle Yang, who is in charge of warehouse management, here?"
The man looked up and said, "He's not here. He must have gone out on something. Which department are you from?"
"Gu Baolin from my logistics department wants to check the data with Uncle Yang."
"When he comes back, I'll tell him to go to the fourth floor to find you."
Ye Baoling smiled and said, "Thank you. What's your name?"
“My surname is Lu, and my given name also has the character ‘Bao’ in it. My name is Lu Baohua.”
Ye Baoling had reviewed the detailed lists of middle and senior managers in each department.
She remembered that Lu Baohua was the product manager, and couldn't help but smile and say, "Oh, it's Manager Lu. Thank you for your help."
"No trouble at all, it's nothing."
Just as Ye Baoling was about to leave, she heard Lu Baohua call out to her, "Miss Gu, Uncle Yang is back. Uncle Yang, your colleagues from the logistics department are looking for you."
Uncle Yang is around 50 years old. He was holding a thermos in his hand and had a large bunch of keys tied around his waist. It was clear that he had already entered retirement mode ahead of time.
After hearing Ye Baoling's question, he waved his hand and said, "Those cardboard pieces were all given to your cleaning department to offset their wages. We haven't kept track of the exact number."
Ye Baoling: "Approximately how much raw material does Warehouse No. 2 consume each month?"
The amount of cardboard can be roughly estimated by the consumption of raw materials.
Uncle Yang shrugged and said, "I don't know about that."
"..."
Lu Baohua passed by them again and overheard their conversation. He said, "I have some data here. I'll help you look it up."
"Very good."
Ye Baoling took a pen and paper and copied the relevant data back.
In the afternoon, she called the two team leaders of the cleaning team to the small conference room to discuss the work.
"After verifying with multiple sources, the reason the company hasn't given you a raise for two years is because all the cardboard and other recyclables from Yulong Building and Warehouse No. 2 have been handed over to you for recycling and resale, and then distributed to the cleaning staff as compensation for their low wages. Is that right?"
Group A leader Liao Zhihui nodded with a smile: "That's how it is."
Ye Baoling: "If that's the case, why didn't you just tell me the reason before?"
Liao Zhihui dusted off the dust on his sleeves and said with a smile, "The income from selling cardboard is very unstable, sometimes more and sometimes less. It's understandable that everyone wants something more stable and wants a raise."
How much each month?
“It’s different every month, I can’t remember, I need to go back and compile the statistics.”
Approximately how many?
"I really can't remember."
Ye Baoling pressed on: "You probably can't remember any of them?"
Liao Zhihui had no choice but to answer, "Around 2000, sometimes less than 2000. Right, Xiaofeng?"
Qi Xiaofeng nodded: "More or less, our group is small."
This displeased Liao Zhihui, who immediately retorted, "How come you got less? You do the math, did you get less?"
Ye Baoling looked at Qi Xiaofeng.
The question, "Did you get a small share?" is quite intimidating.
Qi Xiaofeng paused noticeably. She hadn't expected Liao Zhihui to contradict her like that in front of Ye Baoling. She couldn't help but laugh awkwardly, "Oh dear, everyone in the cleaning department is short-handed. Of course, it would be best if we could get a raise."
Ye Baoling continued: "It's about two thousand a month. There are 22 people in the cleaning department. When it's divided among individuals, it's less than 100 per person on average?"
Liao Zhihui: "More or less."
"Have you kept records of how much money each person received each month over the past six months? Please provide me with the list."
Liao Zhihui spread his hands: "We did have everyone take the money and sign, but the ledger was lost before, and we don't know if we can find it."
"The ledger is lost?"
"It's lost."
It's such a coincidence.
Can she believe it?
She didn't believe it.
Ye Baoling smiled and said, "Then let everyone register how much money each person received each month."
"Who would remember? What's the point of doing all this?"
"Let the leaders know that the money the cleaners receive for cardboard is not enough to cover their increased wages."
Liao Zhihui had no choice but to object. He exchanged a glance with Qi Xiaofeng. The most important thing right now was to quickly communicate with the two groups of cleaners privately and agree on how much money each of them should fill in.
That way, the numbers won't be mismatched.
"Alright, Miss Gu, if there's nothing else, we'll head out now."
Ye Baoling knew they were in a hurry to leave, but she insisted on stopping them, saying, "There's something else. We've received several complaints in the last two days."
She relayed the instructions Zhang Laichi had given her that morning to them.
"Make changes first. If the changes aren't done well, more wages will be deducted. As for how to make changes, the leaders will let you figure it out yourselves. Also, please give us your suggestions on how much wage deduction you can afford."
Deducting wages?
Liao Zhihui shook his head and said, "It's not right to deduct wages, is it? There's not much wages to begin with."
"Go and convey this message first, and tell them to correct it as soon as possible. We can discuss the salary deduction later."
Just then, Wang Simin knocked on the door and came in. "Alin, the registration is done."
"Have all of them been registered?"
“It’s all registered. Take a look.” Wang Simin handed a folder to Ye Baoling.
Ye Baoling glanced at it quickly. Wang Simin was a long-time employee, and even the troublemakers and sly ones in the cleaning department gave her face. They all obediently registered the paper money they had received over the past few months.
Liao Zhihui's expression changed slightly. He hadn't expected that this Miss Gu would use a diversionary tactic, holding a meeting with them while having someone register.
So cunning at such a young age!
You've never encountered a nail before, so you don't know how hard steel plates are!
He and Qi Xiaofeng exchanged another glance. This time, they were determined to get rid of this arrogant and ignorant brat!
Ye Baoling had no time to care about the other person's complicated feelings.
She glanced at her watch; it was almost time to get off work, and the cleaners still had work to do. She said, "There's no time today, so I'll organize a meeting for everyone tomorrow."
After leaving the meeting room, on their way home from get off work, Ye Baoling took Gu Man'er and Wang Simin to an ice cream parlor near the subway station. She treated Wang Simin to an ice cream as a token of her gratitude.
*
After returning from the Gu family, Ye Baoling chatted with Old Madam Guan for a while before going back to her room to take a bath.
Half-lying in the bathtub, she recalled the experience of opening the safe next door with Ye Huaizhang last night.
Suddenly, an idea flashed into my mind.
Could Ye Huaizhang not know there was a wine cellar on the third basement level? Otherwise, he wouldn't have told her about his grandfather's opposition to building the wine cellar that day.
Is this possible?
Otherwise, it's just a wine cellar. He even told her about the safe, so why didn't he tell her about the wine cellar?
Unless there's some unspeakable secret in the wine cellar.
As I was thinking, the lights suddenly went out!
Ancestor Ni!
Fortunately, there were no strange noises from the water pipes this time.
Ye Baoling groped her way to her feet, being careful not to bump herself like she had last time.
She touched the bathrobe on the rack, and just as she put it on, a light came closer from outside.
Ye Huaizhang called out from the doorway, "Are you taking a shower?"
Ye Baoling replied to him, "I'm here."
The bathroom door opened, and the light from the flashlight shone directly on her. She was half-draped in a bathrobe, her breasts heaving above and layered below.
His breathing suddenly became labored.
Twice a week, he cherishes every opportunity.
For example, today.
The overhead light came on at the right moment. He went over, placed the flashlight on the table, and reached his hand through his waist.
He whispered in her ear, "Want to wash again?"
Ye Baoling trembled slightly as her chest brushed against his button.
She was forced to wash again.
Half an hour later, the power went out again.
Even though there were only two of them, the surroundings felt very lively.
They were like two partners working together, going back and forth, with little experience but perfect teamwork.
In the dark, the sense of touch is particularly sensitive.
Every small interaction between minds is amplified in the mind by keen senses.
Ye Baoling felt a little short of breath. She tried to turn her head away, but he turned it back to her...
The lights came on again.
The light was so bright that she closed her eyes and it took her a long time to recover.
Ye Huaizhang took out a tissue to wipe her sweat. She had just finished showering and was going to shower again.
She asked, "Didn't they say they were going to change the wiring? When will they do it?"
"It's being revised. You were at work during the day, so you didn't know. It will be fixed in a couple of days."
While he wasn't paying attention, she looked up and bit his chest.
Not only do they bite, they also suck and slurp!
That's sour and refreshing.
After succeeding, he smiled slyly and contentedly.
-----------------------
Author's note: Ye Huaizhang: So it turns out I was the wet nurse.
Ye Baoling: [Kiss]
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