Chapter 61

"Look, you, when the development department manager quit, you followed suit. Why? You were a deputy manager with a salary of over ten thousand, and now, after more than three months, you haven’t even looked for a job. You just say you’re waiting for him to find a new place before you join him. Look at you, can you even find someone like you in modern society? Do you think this is a drama from the Three Kingdoms, where you’re looking for a wise lord?" In a rented apartment, a woman dressed in a revealing business suit, with an ordinary appearance and no particular beauty, was scolding a short, stout man.

This short, stout man was Dong Ze, who had resigned from Qingshan Medical Company to follow Zhuo Chuan, and the woman was his girlfriend.

"The boss is just taking a break. Once he’s well, many companies will invite him. Besides, if I continued working there, do you think I would be promoted? Impossible. That Wang guy was hired when the boss was on leave, and he has a distant relative relationship with the boss. That position would never be mine," Dong Ze said, hanging his head.

"I don’t care about that. Give me five thousand a month for living expenses. How many months has it been now? We’re using up our savings. Are we still buying a house? Are we still paying the car loan? If you don’t start earning money soon, I’ll break up with you," the woman said, her face turning sour.

"We couldn’t afford a house because you insisted on buying a car first, and a BMW at that, which cost over 300,000. You even made me borrow 70,000 from the boss," Dong Ze said, getting angry. They were almost ready to pay the down payment on a house, but this woman said everyone else had a car, and since the house prices were high, it was better to wait for them to drop. She said he would start as a manager, so his salary would increase, and they could buy a house later. But after buying the car, house prices skyrocketed, and what used to cost two square meters per month now costs one.

"Fine, so you owe money. You’ve been living beyond your means. What’s wrong with buying a BMW? It’s the lowest tier. Could you afford a higher one?" The woman’s voice rose.

"Alright, you’re right. But look at your face. You’re only fit to drive the lowest tier," Dong Ze retorted, getting angry.

"Go to hell, my face is wanted by many people outside," the woman said, getting furious and starting to scratch and pinch Dong Ze.

"Get out, every time you lose an argument, you resort to violence. You’re a shrew, a cheap woman," Dong Ze pushed her away.

"Break up, I’m breaking up with you today," the woman, caught off guard, was pushed to the ground by Dong Ze.

"Fine, break up. Who would want a woman as ugly and vicious as you?" Dong Ze, enraged, had argued with her many times before. She always complained about his low salary or his height, never considering her own appearance. If not for being in the provincial capital, where it was hard for a man without a house to find a partner, he wouldn’t have dated her.

This woman, with her sweet talk, had convinced him to use all their savings to buy a BMW, which was all show and no substance. She was vain and spent money like water, leaving almost nothing from his monthly salary. The rent for their two-bedroom apartment was over 3,000 a month, plus car maintenance and fuel, leaving him with very little after paying her living expenses.

Dong Ze was thoroughly annoyed with this woman. Every time they argued, he felt an urge to kill her, but years of education told him that killing for a woman and facing a murder charge was not worth it.

Today’s incident was the final straw. Unable to bear it any longer, he barely controlled his final impulse, grabbed his documents and laptop, and left.

"You’re not coming back, and you can’t drive the car either. The keys and the car are mine!!" the woman shouted.

...

Looking at the gray sky, it was heavily polluted again. Standing at the street corner, watching the crowds and the endless stream of cars, Dong Ze felt his life of over twenty years had been a failure. His luck was terrible. He had a good boss, and his career was promising, but then the boss fell ill, and he lost his job. He found a woman who turned out to be vain and had squandered his savings.

As he was lost in thought, his phone rang. It was the boss calling. Was he asking about his situation again? Dong Ze didn’t want to worry him and prepared to say he was still traveling.

"Is that you, Xiao Dong? How are you doing?"

"Um, it’s me, Boss. I’m still traveling with my wife," Dong Ze calmed down. The boss had done so much for him. From a clueless student who couldn’t find a job, the boss had taught him everything, giving him the ability to be a deputy manager. He had even lent him money when he was short on cash at the start of his career.

"Oh, I really need you now. I have to say, your girlfriend isn’t suitable for a long-term relationship. Only a brother like me would tell you this; others wouldn’t."

Dong Ze smiled bitterly. The boss had seen through this woman when he first met her. Unfortunately, he had been blinded by infatuation and started dating her. Every argument since then had proven the boss right.

Shaking his head to clear the bad memories, Dong Ze was surprised when Zhuo Chuan said he needed him. Could it be that the boss had recovered?

"Boss, are you feeling better?" Dong Ze asked instinctively.

On the other end of the line, Zhuo Chuan felt relieved. This was his trusted brother, who had been trained by him. After three months, the first thing he asked about was the boss’s health, not the job. He knew Dong Ze was straightforward and wouldn’t flatter him. This showed genuine concern.

The emotional investment in people, when placed in the right person, would be rewarded. Dong Ze’s situation was even worse. His parents had divorced, and his mother had remarried, leaving him to fend for himself. He had to work and sell scrap to pay for his tuition, and he only managed to attend a junior college for computer science. Finding a job was tough, and he almost had to work on a construction site. It was only when Zhuo Chuan, moved by his situation during an interview, hired him.

Zhuo Chuan, at least, had his grandfather to look after him. Although his parents were divorced, his father sent him a monthly allowance of 2,000 to 3,000 for over a decade, even after he started working. This allowed him to focus on his studies, get into a prestigious university, and rise to the position of development department manager in just a few years.

His health was indeed much better now. The soul’s enhancement of the body initially focused on repairing it to its most perfect state from memory, then strengthening it. This is why his body was so powerful, allowing him to not only save himself but also others during the mountain climbing.

"Yes, I’m better. I’ve found a great project and secured four million in initial investment. I’ve started a company called Tianhua Software. The framework isn’t set up yet, so come over and help me. Bring a few more people if you can." Zhuo Chuan knew there was no need to be formal with Dong Ze. Their relationship was far beyond that of a typical superior and subordinate.