Chapter 16 — I Stopped Meeting Clients After Work

Tham Dat nodded.

"I understand, Deputy General Luc."

The first week I joined An Nhuan. Park Jung Hoon called.

"I heard you changed companies?"

His voice carried a distinct sense of relief.

"That's right."

"I'm in An Nhuan."

Park Jung Hoon burst out laughing.

"The backup plan that I negotiated with An Nhuan before has not yet been finalized."

"Because the person in charge is not as good as you."

"You are now in An Nhuan."

"Then we can discuss the previous contract."

"That contract is 80,000,000 yuan."

"Mr. Park."

"I'm always ready."

"Do you have time tonight?"

"I invite you to eat Peking duck."

"Tonight!"

That evening. In a private room of Toan Tu Duc restaurant. Park Jung Hoon and I ate roast duck and drank wine. Little by little. Recovering the opportunity for cooperation that Hang Dat personally lost. But this time... It's no longer an 80,000,000 yuan contract. 120,000,000 yuan. After a month of turmoil. Park Jung Hoon's level of trust in me has not decreased. On the contrary, it increases. He said:

"Someone who can stay calm in such a situation."

"He still perseveres in following his principles."

"This is a partner truly worth trusting."

Contract signing date. I sent Truong Vi a message.

"I invite you to dinner tonight."

Truong Vi replied almost immediately: I looked at the contract worth 120,000,000 yuan that had just been signed. The corners of the lips curled slightly.

"That's where the last celebration party was held."

"The only difference is this time..."

"You really need to celebrate."

"It's finally me."

"You really know how to choose a location."

Truong Vi laughed loudly. We sat down in the restaurant of the Hilton hotel. He poured me a glass of wine.

"Do you know how Hang Dat is doing these days?"

"Fine for breach of contract by KS Group."

"4,000,000 yuan."

"Compensation has already been made."

He took a sip of wine. Continue saying:

"Plus the revenue lost because customers leave."

"In the first three months of this year, the company only completed eight percent of its yearly target."

"What about Trieu Bang?"

Truong Vi burst into laughter.

"Last week I was called up for personal work."

"Zhou Jianguo requires that at least two major customers be signed within three months."

"If you can't do it, then voluntarily quit your job."

"Can he do it?"

Truong Vi shook his head.

"Now customers can't even get in."

"Last time he came to see an old client of yours."

"As soon as the receptionist heard the name, he said:

'My leader told me that I don't know anyone named Trieu in Hang Dat.'"

"He waited under the building all afternoon."

"Even the gate can't get through."

I listened quietly. Don't laugh.

"What about Ly Duong?"

"Run away."

"Please quit your job."

"Now working as a salesperson for a small company."

"Basic salary 4,000 yuan."

"Vuong My Ky and Tran Tuyet?"

"Waiting for the list of personnel reductions."

"I heard that Chu Kien Quoc is preparing for a round of layoffs in the middle of the year."

"Eight out of ten those two have names."

"What about Ton Hao?"

"It's funny to talk about him."

Truong Vi laughed so much that he almost choked.

"Do you know what his shared bonus is used for?"

"I do not know."

"Borrow money to buy."

"Now I have to pay more than 6,000 yuan in installments every month."

"But the base salary was cut by thirty percent because of poor sales."

"No collection enough."

"I heard that I started borrowing money from relatives."

Speaking of this. Truong Vi shook his head. Raise the glass of wine and take a sip.

"Tell me, what are those people thinking?"

"How proud I was when I denounced you."

"Now it's even more pathetic."

"Actually, that denunciation was not aimed at you."

"It's aimed directly at their own rice bowls."

"It's just a pity they didn't see it at the time."

I raised my glass of wine. Take a sip. No comment on the outcome of Trieu Bang and the others. No gloating. No pity either. Everything is their own choice. I chose to silently accept the 1,000 yuan overtime pay. They chose to join forces to denounce me. Zhou Jianguo chose to sacrifice those who worked to appease those who did not work. Everyone has made their own choices. And everyone has to pay the price for that choice. Some people bid in exchange for a larger office. Some people pay the price of having to start over from scratch. There are also people... Paying the price with everything I ever had. I put down the glass of wine. Looking at the flow of people passing by in the lobby of the Hilton hotel. Suddenly I remembered that evening a month ago. Then I stood in the hallway. Take out your phone. Send Park Jung Hoon a message to cancel the meeting. Those ten short seconds of hesitation... What was I thinking? I thought: Is it worth it? Six years of love. Six years of dedication. Six years of youth. Is it worth it for 1,000 yuan in overtime pay... And a denunciation... to deny everything? The answer is: I have never denied anything. The one who overthrew everything... It wasn't me. I simply didn't reach out to help. Later I heard another story. Last night, I was called up for personal work. Trieu Bang drinks a lot of alcohol. Sit at a roadside grill. Cry in front of strangers. He said:

"I just feel like she's overworked."

"I just want her to live a little more normally."

"I didn't know it would turn out like this."

When Truong Vi recounted those words to me. The tone was extremely calm.

"Just because you see others working too hard, do you denounce it?"

He smiled faintly.

"Do you know what the funniest thing is?"

"That night, Trieu Bang sat crying at the grill..."

"It's half past eleven at night."

"The last word..."

"He's also starting to worry about work after work."

I was stunned. Then burst out laughing. When you need to try, you don't try. When you shouldn't color, try to color. By the time you really need to worry... No matter how much you worry, it's already too late. I raised my glass of wine.

"Truong Wei."

"Drink a glass."

"For what?"

"For 1,000 yuan."

"Because of the 1,000 yuan overtime pay that Zhou Jianguo paid me."

"It's the most valuable 1,000 yuan I've ever received in my life."

Truong Vi burst out laughing. Raise your glass to me. The sound of glasses colliding echoed loudly. The wine is very spicy. But I drank it very refreshingly. Outside the window. The neon lights are still bright. Beijing night is still as prosperous as ever. As for my story... It's just begun.