Chapter 1 of 10

Chapter 1

15 min read3,778 words

In the misty rain, the city of Rongcheng in September lacks the crisp and clear feeling of autumn, instead giving a sense of dark clouds pressing down on the city. The city, shrouded in a gentle drizzle, is mysterious, and even more mysterious are the women who grow up in this dripping lotus city. Their naturally beautiful faces often make passersby speculate wildly: who bestowed them with the elixir of beauty? Their skin is as fresh as water, their temper as fiery as chili peppers, and the name "Sichuan girls" is known to all.

The pace of life in Rongcheng can be summed up in one word: "leisurely." People play chess under the awnings on the streets, and elderly men with birdcages are blocked by the rain, chatting in the pavilions. The sound of mahjong, a traditional game, echoes through the glass windows, all part of the slow rhythm of life.

Wang Hao has lived here for three years, and if you count his four years of university, it's been seven years. After graduating from Southwestern University of Finance and Economics, he found a job at a local foreign-funded company and became an ordinary accountant. The reputation of a 211 university is very prominent, especially in Rongcheng, where it is almost universally known, making it easy for him to find a job.

The 9-to-5 life wasn't as bad as he had imagined. The atmosphere in the company was good, without the sharp and irreconcilable conflicts between colleagues often depicted on TV. His post-tax income of over 4,000 yuan was barely acceptable. He wasn't married, the rent wasn't too expensive, and his expenses were not extravagant, allowing him to save 1,000 yuan each month for a fixed investment in a fund.

His family wasn't extremely wealthy, but they were at least well-off, owning two properties in Chongqing. Both his parents had jobs and were nearing retirement, but they were in good health, so there wasn't much to spend money on. However, Wang Hao's lifelong matters were a constant worry for the two elders. He hadn't found a wife after graduating from university, and now, after three years of work, he still didn't have a girlfriend. It was no wonder the two elders were eager for a grandson.

Sitting at his desk, Wang Hao looked at the computer screen with a numb expression, his hands moving quickly over the keyboard, controlling the mouse to perform statistical analysis in SPSS. He blinked his eyes and stretched, inadvertently glancing at the other people in the office. It was almost time to leave, but everyone still had a lot of work to finish. The new quarterly report had to be completed soon. He rubbed his sore neck, looked at the nearly withered cactus next to the monitor, and continued to work hard.

"Wang Hao, save the data first. Manager Zhang is looking for you." A mature woman in a business suit patted his shoulder and pointed to the manager's office nearby, whispering, "He just finished a meeting with HR, and he doesn't look too good. Be careful."

This woman could be rated a 7 out of 10, with a curvaceous figure that became even more alluring in black stockings. Her assets were almost bursting out of her bra, like a ripe peach.

He took a light breath, feeling a bit intoxicated, and quickly nodded, careful not to show a lecherous expression. "Thanks, Sister Li. I know, I hope it's not something bad."

Sister Li, the flower of the office, made most men feel dizzy when they saw her. After all, a real-life beauty standing in front of you is not like in TV or movies. Her name is Li Moshuang, and those who know her call her Sister Shuang or Sister Li. She is a woman with a good personality.

After being reminded by Li Moshuang, Wang Hao stood up, took a deep breath, and quickly tidied his clothes before walking over. He knocked lightly on the door, feeling a bit worried, not knowing what would happen.

"Knock, knock, knock."

"Come in."

A hoarse voice sounded. When Wang Hao pushed the door open, he found his immediate superior smoking, with the ashtray still smoldering. Manager Zhang was always stern, like a cold-faced judge. Wherever he went, the noise stopped, as if he carried a silencing effect.

"Xiao Wang, come and sit down." He pointed to the chair opposite him, unusually gentle.

This scared Wang Hao. As the saying goes, abnormality is ominous. Manager Zhang was smiling! He sat down trembling, swallowed, and asked, "Manager Zhang, what's the matter?"

"Hmm, you've been with the company for three years, right? Time flies. I still remember finding you at the campus recruitment fair at the university." He seemed to be reminiscing, his eyes looking through the rising smoke, and he delivered a shocking message with a regretful tone: "HR has decided to fire you."

What! Wang Hao was startled. He was skeptical: "Fire me? Why?"

He thought he worked hard, never came late or left early, and had a high work efficiency. Why was he being fired? This puzzled him greatly.

"You know the reason. The tricks in accounting aren't unknown to you. Water that is too clear has no fish. Think about it." Manager Zhang was a bit regretful. He knew Wang Hao was a talented person, and firing him was not something he wanted to do.

With this reminder, Wang Hao suddenly understood. He had failed because of those words: "Water that is too clear has no fish." The duty of an accountant is to handle financial matters, but every accountant needs to be involved in falsifying accounts.

There's a humorous saying: those who can falsify accounts are in prison, and those who can't find a job. Because he didn't falsify accounts and didn't cover up the company's data, he was fired.

He smiled bitterly and shook his head. He should have known this day would come.

Manager Zhang sighed lightly, stood up, walked around the desk, and patted his shoulder. "I can only have HR pay you for the next three months according to the contract. Remember this lesson. It's good to have principles, but you also need to live."

The always cold and stern Manager Zhang broke his usual demeanor and said so much, but it didn't hide Wang Hao's disappointed face. Being young, his reaction to the blow was a bit exaggerated. He forced a smile, nodded at Manager Zhang, and showed a smile that was more painful than crying. "If there's nothing else, I'll go pack my things."

He closed the door, turned around, and walked out. Inside, he felt a million horses galloping. He had long wanted to curse the company's upper management.

Li Moshuang curiously approached, frowning. "Xiao Wang, what's going on? Why do you look so bad?"

The surrounding colleagues also turned to look at Wang Hao, puzzled, wanting to know what had happened.

"Brother Hao, it's not time to leave yet. Why are you packing up?" The new intern, Lin Chanyu, asked.

Hu Xiaoyue, who worked next to Wang Hao, was also surprised. She looked at Wang Hao's face with concern and said softly, "Is there something urgent you need to take care of?"

Looking at the concerned colleagues around him, Wang Hao stopped what he was doing and explained, "I've been fired. I'm leaving today."

This statement was like a bolt of lightning, shocking everyone around him. They chattered, some genuinely worried, others amused, and some coldly observing. This was the human condition.

He packed his things into a small cardboard box, pursed his lips, looked around, and said, "Keep working. I'll leave my data for you to handle. Goodbye!"

He wasn't heartless. He left quickly to avoid crying. Crying at 26 would be very embarrassing, and he didn't want to lose both his job and his dignity.

The elevator descended floor by floor, the numbers flashing by, as if it had reached the ground floor in an instant. Without hesitation, he glanced at the company's sign and stepped into the misty rain.

The fine rain made his hair damp. Wearing a shirt, Wang Hao looked around, walked to the taxi stand, and hailed a car that had just dropped off a passenger. He took out the nearly dead cactus from the cardboard box, looked at it, and threw it into the nearby trash can. He got into the car and disappeared into the misty world.

---