Chapter 5

Hearing a hum? Feng Jun was taken aback, twitched his nose, and then raised his arm to smell it, answering blankly, "There's no smell."

"It's a stench!" The boss decisively raised his hand, fanning the air in front of his nose, "You stink and don't even realize it... well, I'm giving you a friendly warning; others might not bother to tell you."

He didn't want to offend his customer.

However, Feng Jun's reaction was unexpected. He first froze, then burst into laughter, "I really should thank you for the reminder, otherwise, it would have been embarrassing."

Watching this guy laugh and leave, the boss smiled and shook his head, "This stinky kid has a good temper... yeah, he really is a stinky kid, quite stinky."

Feng Jun's happiness, of course, had a reason. The stench on his body—wasn't this the legendary... bone-washing and sinew-changing?

Indeed, it was a true encounter, and all the expected reactions were there; it wasn't a fake encounter.

At the Hongjie Club, taking a shower was incredibly easy, as most fitness clubs have shower facilities.

Considering his clothes might also have a stench, Feng Jun returned to the dormitory to get some clean clothes. By chance, he saw a phone charger on Zhao Hongqi's desk.

I'll use it first! He didn't want to buy a charger that would explode right away.

This time, he used his right hand and smoothly completed the charging process.

His guess was right; the old phone started charging, slowly but steadily.

Feng Jun looked around, plugged the charger into the socket under the bed, turned off the phone, and hid it under the bed before picking up the clean clothes and quickly walking out.

Under the showerhead, he realized how dirty he was. However, the layer of dirt on his skin was very close to his skin color and breathable, which is why he hadn't noticed it.

As for the stench? Maybe there was some, but it wasn't particularly strong; otherwise, the restaurant owner would have complained long ago.

Clearly, the description of bone-washing and sinew-changing in web novels was not accurate; the dirt wasn't black, and it didn't stink that much.

Feng Jun used soap three times to clean himself, which strengthened his resolve to stay at Hongjie—showering outside costs money, and the club's soap is free.

After the shower, it was around 1 PM, the quietest time at the fitness club.

Feng Jun left the club, took out his bus card, and rode a public bicycle to a phone store five miles away. He spent 15 yuan on a cheap charger and, seeing a few new smartphones on the counter, felt a bit tempted to buy one.

Since he had already had a strange encounter, why save money?

However, he ultimately controlled his impulse, not only because he hadn't found a way to monetize it but also because the dormitory was too unsafe. He was worried about his old phone being stolen, let alone these new models.

Back in the dormitory, he replaced Zhao Hongqi's charger, still put the phone under the bed, and went to bed, but unfortunately, he forgot to turn it on.

When he woke up from his nap and checked his phone, he was surprised to find it was already 4 PM.

The old phone's battery was already at 83%.

This much power was enough for the day, so he unplugged the charger and was about to do something when Zhao Hongqi ran in from outside.

The little fatty, drenched in sweat, panted and shouted, "What's wrong with you? Your phone was off? Guo Datang is calling you to come over quickly."

Feng Jun frowned, puzzled, "What's so urgent?"

"It's still about yesterday," Zhao Hongqi replied with a smile, his face showing undisguised schadenfreude, "The company had continuous power outages, so Guo Datang didn't have time to deal with you. Now that the transformer is fixed, this matter needs to be handled... you were absent from work yesterday afternoon."

Feng Jun gave him a strange look, "I'm in trouble, and you seem happy?"

"What do I have to be happy about?" Zhao Hongqi firmly concealed his schadenfreude and spoke seriously, "But you violated company rules, and the company can't just let it go, right?"

Feng Jun looked at him speechlessly and walked out the door.

At this time, the fitness club was a bit busy, but most of the members were government employees—busy in the morning, and on paid rest in the afternoon.

With many members, the junior staff were free, and the experienced trainers didn't need them to guide the members.

Guo Datang gathered the idle trainers and service staff, lecturing them passionately. Seeing Feng Jun walk in from outside, he glared at him, "You still have the nerve to come?"

Feng Jun's anger flared up, but he suppressed it, "I overslept today, so consider it a late arrival."

But how could Guo Datang let him off easily? "Late today, what about yesterday? Yesterday, you not only failed to maintain the club's image but also skipped work in the afternoon. I'm curious, how did you get such a high opinion of yourself at such a young age?"

"The company feeds and houses you, and you turn out to be an ungrateful wolf... what gives you the right to act this way? Your double degree? Don't make me laugh; those are just pieces of paper. College graduates are more numerous than dogs these days!"

Feng Jun's anger grew. As a college graduate, he could mock the abundance of graduates, but Guo Datang, a mere vocational school graduate, was insulting him!

He steeled his resolve and retorted, "My food and lodging are earned through my labor, not provided by the company. You need to understand this. And I don't think I did anything wrong yesterday... why should I take the blame for Liu Shuming's mistake?"

His mood was bad; he might have to leave, which was a pity, given the free showers and soap.

"Why should you?" Guo Datang laughed in anger, his voice becoming shrill, "Because Liu Shuming is a trainer, so the mistake can only be yours. What, you have a problem with that?"

This logic was too naked and destructive to one's worldview, but this was real life. Trainers had higher priority than junior staff—certified trainers were rare, and unlicensed labor was easy to find.

Feng Jun was in no mood to argue, so he countered, "Of course, I have a problem. Right is right, and wrong is wrong... a trainer's certificate? In my eyes, it's just a piece of paper!"

The other trainers' faces darkened. Damn... kid, are you looking for trouble?

Feng Jun realized his mistake as soon as he spoke, but... what's done is done, no need to regret it.

Guo Datang sneered, "Trainer's certificate? It's actually useful. Let me tell you clearly, in this industry, a trainer's certificate is much more important than your so-called double degree!"

Feng Jun's hands clenched at his sides. He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth, "Are you insulting me?"

"Insulting you is a compliment," Guo Datang sneered coldly, "What, do you want to hit me?"

Feng Jun didn't want to hit anyone; he was unwilling to be violent towards a woman unless absolutely necessary.

He just wanted to quit. The strange encounter had nothing to do with the dormitory, and leaving now would only increase his expenses.

However, just as he was about to speak, a clear, bell-like voice sounded behind him, "What's going on?"

Everyone turned to see the company's general manager, Sister Hong, had arrived.

Today, Sister Hong was wearing a white short-sleeved blouse with a small collar and a light gray pencil skirt.

This outfit, on other women, would be a standard urban professional look, but on her, it exuded an overwhelming presence and a commanding aura.

Without stockings, she seemed less pretentious and more authoritative.

Guo Datang realized the boss had arrived and hurriedly explained, "Sister Hong, I'm dealing with a typical case, didn't see you come in... the company's atmosphere is bad, the young guys are all slackers, and we need to crack down on this."

"Hmm," Sister Hong nodded noncommittally.

Guo Datang knew she needed an explanation, so she pointed at Feng Jun, "This guy is one of the typical cases, doesn't get along with colleagues, skipped work yesterday, and is late today..."

After a pause, she added, "Some members appreciate him, but he doesn't know how to be grateful."

"Really?" Sister Hong looked Feng Jun up and down, recalling him, "Being appreciated by guests means something. Is this the graduate student?"

Feng Jun's lips twitched: it's a double degree, not a graduate student!

"Yes," Guo Datang nodded, "His name is Feng Jun, and he doesn't fit in well."

"Hmm," Sister Hong nodded again, then her eyes lit up, "Feng Jun... are you 'Falling Petals'?"

"Cough, cough," Feng Jun coughed awkwardly, wondering if it was appropriate for Sister Hong to mention a game in front of the staff.

"That's right, his QQ name is 'Falling Petals'," Zhao Hongqi called out, "Saying something like 'Falling Petals Meet Again'... so pretentious."

Sister Hong gave him a speechless look, "My name, 'Sister Hong of Society,' is also pretentious. Are you going to bite me?"

Actually, her arrival wasn't a random impulse but had a reason.

After understanding the situation, Sister Hong coldly glanced at Liu Shuming, "This time, I'll let it go, but if you dare to harass the club's guests again, don't blame me for being harsh."

Liu Shuming was terrified by her gaze and nodded without hesitation, "Sister Hong, I know I was wrong."

No one dared to ignore Sister Hong's warning. Since the club opened, there had been troublemakers, but they always faced even bigger trouble afterward.

The staff of Hongjie knew these rumors were true.

Liu Shuming felt his legs start to cramp.

Sister Hong then looked at Feng Jun and nodded slightly, "You... um, the grass you planted is doing well."

(With the new book uploaded, please click, recommend, and collect. Feng Xiao thanks everyone.)