My minimum living allowance is credited to my account every day with 1000 million yuan

After making the phone call to Zhao Xiangjun in the shop's meeting room, Lu Yan sat alone on a cold plastic stool. The dim light streaming in from the window illuminated her pale and tired face. She had just put down the phone, which carried immense hope; the screen still bore the sweaty residue from her nervous palms.

Although they hadn't seen each other for two years, Zhao Xiangjun was still very kind to her. Her tone wasn't cold or distant at all; it was that familiar, yet distant, warmth that Lu Yan found so comforting. In her despair, Lu Yan felt as if she had grasped at a warm straw.

She almost cried as she poured out her woes of the past few months: her health had deteriorated to the point of being reliant on medication, and her mother, her only family, required constant medication. Losing her job was like removing the last pillar supporting their precarious existence. The cost of medicine, the cost of food… the heavy reality tightened around her neck like cold chains, almost suffocating her.

She pleaded humbly, her voice trembling uncontrollably:
"Xiangjun... I... I really have no other choice... Jiexun Sports is clearly trying to get rid of me..."

"Could you... put in a good word for me with Ms. Xu Jia, the general manager of the Yinuo Group...?"

"I'd even be willing to work as a regular shop assistant in their Qinzhou store..."

"I...I desperately need a job..."

By the end, his speech was incoherent and heavily nasal.

Zhao Xiangjun readily agreed to help her, but the way she helped left Lu Yan feeling uneasy. She still remembered Zhao Xiangjun asking her:
"Lu Yan, you're doing well at Jiexun Sports too; the company's benefits are quite good."

Lu Yan's heart sank, thinking that Zhao Xiangjun was subtly questioning her choice to give up Jiexun. She urgently, with deep helplessness and a hint of reluctance, expressed her opinion:
"Yes! It's a pity... they don't want me anymore!"

"If they could stay... who would want to go through the hassle of changing companies at this critical juncture?!"

His words were filled with the bitterness of being abandoned and the longing for the generous treatment he received from Jiexun.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone. Lu Yan's heart was in her throat, awaiting her fate.

Finally, Zhao Xiangjun's voice rang out again, gentle yet carrying an undeniable power of reassurance:

"Since that's the case... then you... should stay at Jiexun Sports."

Stay with Jiexun Sports?!
Lu Yan was completely stunned! Her hand holding the phone froze! How could this be?

The regional general manager came and made it clear that he wanted her gone; it was practically a done deal! How could Xiangjun say it so casually?
Just as Lu Yan's heart sank to the bottom, Zhao Xiangjun's last words, like a faint lamp quietly lit in the darkness, came clearly:
"Don't worry..."

Her voice was firm and composed, carrying a confidence that seemed to be in control of the game:
"I'll have someone handle this... It's not a big deal."

hum-

Lu Yan's mind went blank! The chilling despair she had felt just moments before was somewhat diluted by this sudden, absolutely confident tone!
"Send someone over to handle it?"
"It's not a big deal"?
Zhao Xiangjun spoke with such certainty, with such absolute certainty…

A faint but incredibly real glimmer of hope, like a tender sprout emerging from frozen soil in the dead of winter, timidly peeked out from Lu Yan's once lifeless heart!

Could it be... really... that there's still a chance?!

Does Xiangjun really have a way to make the company leaders reverse their decision?!
She took a deep breath, forcing herself to detach herself from this huge emotional upheaval.

Fine... let Xiangjun give it a try! After all, Xiangjun is the only lifeline she can grasp right now.

If... if Xiangjun can really resolve Jincheng's problem and let her stay, that would be an incredible stroke of luck!
If... if it can't be done... A hint of sadness flashed in Lu Yan's eyes, but then a glimmer of humble hope ignited within her:

Well... I guess I'll have to swallow my pride and ask Xiangjun to put in a good word for me with President Xu Jia of the Yinuo Group...

Even if it means being the most arduous and exhausting shop assistant, as long as she and her daughter have a way to survive, food to eat, and medicine to treat their illnesses... she wouldn't be picky about anything!

As she emerged from the meeting room, the store manager, who had been waiting outside, immediately approached her with concern and asked in a low voice:
"Lu Yan, how did it go? Did you get through on the phone? Did you find someone who can help?" Her eyes were filled with expectation and worry.

Looking into the store manager's genuinely concerned eyes, Lu Yan felt a slight pang of sadness. She nodded vigorously, as if to encourage herself, or perhaps to confirm the lifeline she had found.

"Hmm...it's connected!"

Her voice carried the exhaustion of someone who had just survived a disaster, mixed with a sliver of uncertain hope:

"She was a former colleague of mine...she...she promised to find someone to plead on my behalf!"

"Great!"

Upon hearing this, the store manager's tense expression visibly relaxed, revealing a genuine smile of joy. She patted Lu Yan on the shoulder, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from her shoulders.

"That's good! That's great!"

She was genuinely happy for Lu Yan and was thinking about things for her:

"Going to Inno Group would be great! I've heard their benefits are famously good! The work environment is also excellent! It might even help with your recovery!"

In the store manager's mind, Lu Yan had approached Yinuo's former colleague, so naturally she should go to Yinuo. This was the best solution she could think of.

however--

Lu Yan gently shook her head, pursed her lips, and revealed an expression mixed with timidity and confusion on her face. Her voice was barely audible.
"No...it's not the Ino Group..."

"what?!"

The store manager's smile froze instantly!

She seemed not to have heard clearly, or perhaps she doubted herself, and frowned in confusion:
"Not Yinuo?"

Her mind was a little slow to process what was happening:

"Then...where did your friend introduce you to?" According to her understanding, Lu Yan contacted a former colleague from the Yinuo Group, so she must have been introduced to the Yinuo Group.

The store manager has extensive experience in the retail industry and, due to their responsibility in recruiting employees, has some understanding of employee compensation at other companies. Inno Group's compensation is even better than Jiexun Sports'.

Lu Yan was already uneasy about Zhao Xiangjun's casual promise to "stay at Jiexun Sports". Now, when the store manager asked her so directly and surprisingly, the faint flame that had just been ignited in her heart seemed to be doused with cold water and instantly became uncertain.

She kept her head down, avoiding eye contact with the shop manager, her voice filled with uncertainty and humility:
"My friend...she said...that I should stay at Jiexun Sports..."

"........."

The air froze instantly!
The store manager fell completely silent!
All the expressions on her face—concern, joy, doubt—vanished, replaced by an extremely complex mix of deep sympathy and disbelief, like watching a lost lamb caught in a trap!
She remained silent for a good ten seconds!
After a long pause, the shop manager finally spoke with great difficulty, his voice slow and heavy with doubt and barely concealed pity:
“Lu Yan…”

Her voice was very soft, as if she were afraid of startling something:
"Are you...are you sure your friend is...reliable?"

Looking at Lu Yan's pale and helpless face, she finally voiced her cruelest suspicion, with a hint of reluctance:

"Could it be... that he doesn't really want to help... and is just saying it casually... to make you happy..."

Although these words were harsh, they were the most reasonable explanation in the eyes of the store manager—and anyone with normal logic!
A sales associate who was personally named by the regional general manager and given an ultimatum to leave!
A former colleague from another brand, who is located in a far-off province and has no connection whatsoever!
What connections? What abilities could she have to get the company to reverse its decision and keep Lu Yan at Jiexun? This is more absurd than a fantasy!

Lu Yan forced a bitter smile, revealing a smile that was more like a grimace.

She knew the store manager's suspicions were reasonable. If she were in that situation, hearing someone say that would also make her think it was wishful thinking.

but……

The image of Zhao Xiangjun appeared clearly in her mind—that girl who was always aloof, with clear eyes and a firm voice! She remembered Zhao Xiangjun's character: she never made promises lightly, and if she did, she would always keep them! She would never even mention something she couldn't do!
This trait, ingrained in her very being, was the last shred of trust that Lu Yan clung to in her heart!
If anyone else had said they could persuade her to stay, Lu Yan would have been a hundred times skeptical, thinking they were playing her for a fool. But Zhao Xiangjun said it… the unwavering strength in her words… ignited a faint, persistent flame of hope deep within her heart.

She took a deep breath, raised her head, and looked at the store manager with an almost pleading determination in her eyes:
"Manager...I...I know this sounds incredible..."

"But... could you give me a little more time?"

"I want to... try again! I'll decide whether to stay or leave once my friend... really gets some news from them."

Looking at the mixture of despair and the last glimmer of stubbornness in Lu Yan's eyes, the store manager felt a mix of emotions.

She let out a long, helpless sigh:
"Sigh... Alright then, Lu Yan..."

Her voice was filled with deep weariness and sympathy:

"If the boss really blames you... I... I'll take the blame for you! But what about your friend?"

She didn't finish her sentence, but simply shook her head silently again.

Sometimes, people are really... bad at making friends... bad at judging people... that's the most helpless thing!

The store manager didn't believe a word of Lu Yan's friend's claim that they could use connections to keep her there.

As evening approached and the mall's customer traffic neared its peak, the store became noticeably busier. The store manager was overseeing the operation, glancing frequently at Lu Yan, who was attending to customers and introducing products. Lu Yan would occasionally take out her phone to check her phone, clearly waiting for a message from her friend.

Employees are not allowed to bring their mobile phones to work; they can only leave them in their own storage compartments in the break room.

However, she showed Lu Yan exceptional leniency today, only—

She didn't think Lu Yan would ever receive that phone call.
Lu Yan had just seen her guests off: "Please take care, and welcome back next time!"

Just as she returned to the shop, her phone buzzed. Excitedly, Lu Yan hurriedly pulled it out of her pocket, opened it, and saw: "Lu Yan, things have been arranged. Someone will contact you this afternoon. Wishing you good health and success at work. If you encounter any difficulties later, feel free to contact me!!"

Lu Yan was so excited she almost jumped up, only to notice a missed call on her phone. It must have been Xiang Jun calling while she was attending to a customer, and she hadn't noticed.

Although she had her phone with her, she kept the ringer very low, mainly because she didn't want to disturb her customers. Unfortunately, she missed Zhao Xiangjun's call because of this. Luckily, Xiangjun said it had been resolved and someone would contact her that afternoon.

She hurriedly ran to the store manager: "Manager, my friend said everything's been arranged, I can stay. I'll receive a notification this afternoon!!"

The store manager smiled, but she was still somewhat skeptical. She raised her wrist and glanced at the sports watch on her wrist. It was already 5 p.m., and the company was about to close.

A notification? Who notified them? And to whom were they notified?
The black Rolls-Royce Phantom cruised smoothly along the somewhat dilapidated main road of Qinzhou. The street scenes flashing past the window starkly highlighted the gap between this inland city and economic powerhouses like Jiangzhou. There was no jungle of skyscrapers… not even a decent six-star hotel.

Chen Xiao leaned back lazily in the spacious and comfortable leather seat in the back, his gaze casually sweeping out the window. He was well aware of Qinzhou's lack of top-tier hotels—it wasn't that Junxiao Hotel Management Group couldn't reach here, but rather that Gao Yue's vision was always focused on that small group of cities at the very top of the global pyramid.

Those were her true stages for unleashing her artistic talents. As for Qinzhou? In her grand global luxury hotel empire, it probably wouldn't even rank high. She'd have to wait until all those dazzling names were in place before she "might" consider exploring its reach.

At this moment, the car slowly drove into a relatively modern area and finally stopped in front of a rather imposing building with a huge logo of "Tian Yue Gao Hua Hotel". This is already the highest-standard hotel that Qinzhou can boast about - it was invested and built by the local leading Tian Yue Group and entrusted to the well-known "Gao Hua Hotel Group" for operation and management.

The doorman respectfully opened the car door.

"Tsk..."

He chuckled softly, as if he had seen something amusing and comical:
"Is this... that silly bird we encountered on the yacht a few days ago... the hotel their family owns?"

"Silly Bird"—this derogatory and personally offensive nickname became Chen Xiao's "exclusive name" for Gao Yuan ever since he learned that the rich kid named Gao Yuan dared to openly pursue Zhang Ziqian on the yacht. Every time he mentioned it, the displeasure and disgust in his tone were almost overflowing.

She gave a soft "hmm" in response. Her voice carried a hint of gentle laughter, though she tried to remain calm.

So... my boss cares about me that much?
So, despite his outwardly calm demeanor, he was actually quite bothered by this matter? (End of Chapter)