Xu Neng muttered from the side, "The child is busy, what are you complaining about?"
Yuan Suqin was about to retort when she heard the relatives and neighbors inside the house echoing Xu Neng's words. She could only smile happily, not taking her husband's words to heart, and took her son's hand to go into the inner bedroom.
The guests naturally didn't want to follow them inside, so they just continued chatting about random things in the main room and courtyard.
Of these people, about a third came directly to Xu Zhengyang hoping to get a job; a third came purely to build a relationship and take things step by step later; and the remaining third were simply there for the excitement of the village and to see something new.
Xu Zhengyang is truly a new face now.
He's worth tens of millions, owns an antique shop that ranks among the top in the province, and is also the chairman of a logistics company. Looking at all the capable and wealthy families in the village, not a single one has the title of chairman.
Xu Zhengyang is one of a kind!
Inside the bedroom, listening to the commotion outside, Xu Zhengyang asked in surprise, "Mom, what day is it today? Why are there so many people at the house?"
"What day is it? You're coming back today," Yuan Suqin said with a smile.
"Huh?" Xu Zhengyang was stunned for a while before he finally realized what was going on and couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Mom, why did you tell the villagers all this? I can't help them with anything right now."
Yuan Suqin pouted and said, "What do you take your mother for? It's just that a few neighbors have been asking when you're coming back, so I told them. Who would have thought it would spread like wildfire? Also, your father and I didn't know about you becoming the chairman of the board, or how your company is growing bigger and bigger. How could it possibly get out? You're such a child. Such a big thing, and you didn't even tell your parents first, to make us happy..."
"Oh, I've been too busy lately." Xu Zhengyang chuckled awkwardly, sitting down next to his mother, and said with a hint of apology, "I was thinking of telling you all about it slowly after I got back. I never imagined that the news had already spread throughout the village."
"Look, there's a huge crowd outside, what do we do?" Yuan Suqin glanced outside and said with a troubled expression.
"This..." Xu Zhengyang was also quite troubled.
Although the company has expanded its operations and established a network of branches, it is indeed short-staffed, and with further improvement and development, it will certainly need to hire many more people. But... can all these villagers and people from other villages, with whom there are some connections, really be assigned to work at Jinghui Logistics?
What can they do?
If they lack education, social experience, and a skill like driving, then the most suitable jobs for them in logistics companies, the jobs they can handle, are at most security guards, loaders, inventory management and maintenance personnel, or perhaps cleaners? That's not a lot.
Moreover, if you ask them to do these tasks, nine times out of ten they will not only be unaware of your feelings, but will also say that you are neglecting them.
Xu Zhengyang had never encountered anything like this before, and for a moment he didn't know how to handle it. If he refused them, even with a polite explanation, it would probably still upset them, and they would definitely gossip behind his back, saying things like, "Now that you have money, you're arrogant, you look down on poor relatives and neighbors," and so on. But to agree to their request was absolutely out of the question. "My money didn't grow on trees, why would I give it to you for free?"
After much deliberation, Xu Zhengyang had no choice but to go out with his mother and chat with the guests at home, but he never mentioned work.
What made Xu Zhengyang feel relieved was that when he didn't mention these things, no one brought up the matter of finding a job.
Upon reflection, it turns out that everyone realized there were too many people today, making it an unsuitable opportunity to discuss work. Human nature isn't entirely selfish, especially when dealing with people to whom one has a need; people tend to consider the other's feelings more. They all understood that even though Xu Zhengyang was now successful and owned a large company, hiring employees and finding someone to work for him and earn a salary was still a difficult task.
Whoever brings this up directly in this situation today will embarrass Xu Zhengyang and make him lose face.
So nobody wants to be the one to stick their neck out and cause embarrassment and unhappiness.
While people were chatting idly, they all secretly hoped to bring up the matter with Xu Zhengyang when everyone else had left and they were alone. Today was the first day Xu Zhengyang had returned, and there were so many people looking for work. Even if he hired a few people out of courtesy, there probably wouldn't be many, so everyone wanted to greet Xu Zhengyang first.
This was a conflicted thought for them; they didn't want to be the first to stand out, yet they also wanted to be the first to seize the opportunity.
It was a helpless situation. They had already informed Yuan Suqin and Xu Neng beforehand, but the couple, looking rather simple-minded, pushed everything onto their son, saying, "We all know each other well. How would we, a married couple, understand Zhengyang's company outside? Whether he needs people or not, and what kind of people he needs? We're just people who stay at home all day digging in the dirt with hoes, how would we know these things? Let's ask Zhengyang when he gets back."
Everyone thought it made sense. Yuan Suqin and Xu Neng were just like them, or even worse, ordinary farmers from the countryside. How could they possibly understand those things? Besides, once a child grows up, he's no longer under his mother's control. Now that the child is successful and has made a name for himself, why would the adults want to interfere and influence him?
With these complex yet simple thoughts in mind, the guests who came to Xu Zhengyang's house today chatted about all sorts of things, laughing and talking, but none of them wanted to leave. They were all gritting their teeth and determined to wait until the others left first...
Well, this has been tough on Yuan Suqin, Xu Neng, and Xu Zhengyang, the family of three.
Knowing the situation perfectly well, they couldn't bring themselves to refuse. Nor could they ask them to leave. Three months had passed since they last met, and the family couldn't even sit down for a proper chat; they could only keep the guests company with polite conversation.
Xu Zhengyang was particularly troubled, as he considered how to handle these matters in a way that would not offend anyone or put himself in a difficult position.
Although time seemed to pass very slowly to the family of three, it still flowed by little by little.
As darkness fell, the setting sun hanging in the western sky turned crimson, making the thick clouds appear as if they were on fire, glowing a deep red.
Just as everyone ran out of topics to chat about, and an awkward silence fell over the house and courtyard, Xu Zhengyang's phone rang.
Xu Zhengyang was incredibly excited. Finally, someone had called him, giving him an excuse to go out.
The call was from Chen Chaojiang. He said, "Zhengyang, I came to look for you earlier, but there were too many people at your house, so I didn't go in. Do you want to stay in Fuhe City tonight?"
"Huh? Okay, really? Hmm, don't worry, I'll be right there." Xu Zhengyang said loudly, his face showing anxiety.
After hanging up the phone, Xu Zhengyang apologized to the guests, saying that something had happened at the company and he had to rush to Fuhe City, so he couldn't stay with them.
Everyone nodded in agreement, urging them to hurry up and get busy, as this was a big undertaking and there were many things to do.
Xu Zhengyang walked briskly out of his courtyard gate, feeling relaxed, and sighed deeply.
Volume 4, City God Chapter 169: The Difficult Choice of Ghosts
Xu Zhengyang has been working hard to become a truly hands-off manager.
However, just as the saying goes, he was working hard, so he wasn't idle. He hadn't yet reached the level of a hands-off manager like Tang Jing, the Jade Hand of the Capital, or Hu Bayi, the Smiling Buddha. Yes, just as everyone imagined, this half-owner of Gu Xiang Xuan and chairman of Jinghui Logistics Company was very busy and had many things to do.
On the day he returned to Fuhe City, in order to avoid those distant relatives, friends, and neighbors, Xu Zhengyang didn't have time to sit and chat with his family for a while before rushing to Fuhe City as if he were escaping.
That evening, Xu Zhengyang invited Yao Chushun and all the staff of Guxiangxuan to a private room on the second floor of the Yunlai Hotel for a meal, some drinks, and some polite conversation...
During this time, Yao Chushun drank a bit too much, his face flushed and he complained excitedly: "Zhengyang, you can't stay in the capital for two or three months at a time like this. You don't need to worry about the Guxiangxuan shop. We can take care of it. But, but Old Li's granddaughter comes to the shop every few days to sit for a while, which makes us all nervous. We don't know how to entertain her. Sigh."
Xu Zhengyang felt ashamed. Yao Chushun had already called him to tell him about this, but he really couldn't get away from Beijing at the time, and he was helpless. Xu Zhengyang felt guilty towards Li Bingjie. Just think about it, a girl, a girl from a family with an astonishingly powerful and even terrifying background, a girl with autism, a naturally beautiful and otherworldly girl like a fairy from heaven, yet she had to eagerly seek him out every day.
To outsiders, who do you think you are, Xu Zhengyang? You're neither good-looking nor from a privileged background. Your current achievements are nothing compared to Li Bingjie's family connections. What makes you think you're so special?
But such things do happen in this world, and Xu Zhengyang was so busy that he neglected Li Bingjie.
Who can I complain to?
It would have been better if Yao Chushun hadn't brought this up. The more he did, the more complex the looks everyone had of Xu Zhengyang. There was doubt, jealousy, admiration, envy, and anger...
"Well, um. I've been so busy these days, cough cough, let's not talk about it, let's not talk about it." Xu Zhengyang raised his glass with a slightly embarrassed smile, gesturing for everyone to drink together.
He said he wouldn't mention it, so naturally no one else brought it up either.
Xu Zhengyang wondered to himself, was Old Master Li very angry and anxious now? Although he had mentioned giving Xu Zhengyang another year to contact Li Bingjie and see if he could cure her illness, he hadn't explicitly told Xu Zhengyang that. Old Master Li was probably annoyed that Xu Zhengyang didn't take his granddaughter seriously, wasn't he?
After dinner, Xu Zhengyang and Chen Chaojiang returned to their apartment in Fuhe City, where every room was kept very clean. During his time in Beijing, his mother, Yuan Suqin, would come to Fuhe City every few days to check on her son at the Gu Xiang Xuan restaurant, just in case the staff or Yao Chushun were ripping him off. Admittedly, she couldn't really see anything wrong with it and was too embarrassed to ask too many questions, but checking on the place would put her mind at ease; and then she would tidy up her son's place.
Parents always think about their children and give their all without expecting anything in return.
Sitting on the sofa in the living room, Xu Zhengyang lit a cigarette and squinted as he thought about something.
Chen Chaojiang sat to the side and resumed his long-absent carving. However, his carving style had now evolved beyond mere detail. He had moved from shallow, delicate carving to deep, bold strokes, creating strong, unrestrained yet refined lines that were clear, exquisite, and easily recognizable.
"Chaojiang, it's time to buy you a car." Xu Zhengyang suddenly opened his eyes and asked with a smile, "What kind of car do you like?"
Chen Chaojiang paused for a moment, then said, "Off-road."
"Okay, go check it out tomorrow. Let me know which one you like, and I'll buy it for you..."
"Well, I don't have that much money on hand. I'll pay you back after I get my share of the profits," Chen Chaojiang nodded and said.
Xu Zhengyang paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Alright, stop carving and get some rest."
"Um."
Xu Zhengyang stubbed out his cigarette and got up to walk towards the bedroom.
"Zhengyang," Chen Chaojiang suddenly called out.
"Huh?" Xu Zhengyang stopped at the door and turned to look at Chen Chaojiang: "Is there anything else?"
"What are you going to do about those people who came to your house looking for you today?"
Xu Zhengyang smiled and said, "I don't owe them anything."
Actually, Xu Zhengyang didn't really need to bother with those people or care about their gossip behind his back. As he just said, "I don't owe them anything." However, despite saying that, Xu Zhengyang was still a little worried, mainly because he was concerned about his parents' reputation. That's how it is in the village. Maybe you live a peaceful life, not bothering or disliking anyone. You don't need to ask anything of others, and no one will ask anything of you; your relationships with your neighbors are harmonious. But if you have some skills, you have to do something. As the saying goes, public opinion is a fearsome thing. Even Han Dashan, who was used to being domineering and had a bad reputation, still employed people from the village after opening his cement products factory.
Xu Zhengyang knew that his parents had been good people for half their lives and had always had a clear conscience. This time, they were too embarrassed to refuse those people, and even sincerely wanted to help them.
Well, let's just say it's about keeping the good stuff in the family, though that's not quite the right way to put it.
Since you have the ability to run a large company and hire outsiders to earn salaries, why not hire people who are closer to you?
Most of the people who come to us probably have the same mentality.
Chen Chaojiang tilted his head slightly and thought for a moment before saying, "There has to be a reason, otherwise it's hard to refuse on face."
“Yes, Jinghui Logistics Company does need staff, but the requirements must be met. Either you need a driver's license to drive large trucks, or you need a high school diploma or above and business experience,” Xu Zhengyang nodded and said.
"So you'd thought about this all along." Chen Chaojiang put down the wooden carving and dagger in his hand and said, "We still need to think about Gangchuan, Zhang Hao, and Liu Bin."
Xu Zhengyang frowned; he understood what Chen Chaojiang meant.
Now that Chen Chaojiang has become a shareholder and the deputy general manager in charge of a department, what about the other guys? They can't be treated differently just because they're family. Otherwise, there will be complaints, right?
Thinking about this, Xu Zhengyang felt annoyed and irritated, not at the person, but at the matter and the human relationships!
"Forget it. I'll have a meal with them when I have the chance and we can talk things out." Xu Zhengyang waved his hand, no longer thinking about these troubling things, and turned to go back into the house.
A hint of worry appeared on Chen Chaojiang's usually stern face as he looked concerned for Xu Zhengyang.
Yes, Xu Zhengyang doesn't owe any of them anything.
Lying in bed, feeling somewhat agitated, Xu Zhengyang focused his consciousness on the city scroll.
The city scroll, which was originally a chaotic and white expanse, has now transformed into a gloomy, solemn, and majestic City God's Mansion according to Xu Zhengyang's will.
A plaque hangs above the main gate, bearing the three characters "City God's Mansion". With its front and back courtyards, and blue bricks and gray tiles, it does resemble an ancient government office.
Meanwhile, in the middle of the courtyard with its towering trees, six people—or rather, six ghosts—knelt side by side.
Dressed in black, the ghost messengers Su Peng and Wang Yonggan stood solemnly before the six ghosts, each holding a soul-beating ruler.
Xu Zhengyang, dressed in the official robes of the City God, appeared out of thin air in the courtyard, his body shrouded in a faint golden light, exuding a powerful and majestic aura.
"grown ups!"
Su Peng and Wang Yonggan immediately stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
"Hmm." Xu Zhengyang waved for the two to stand up and asked, "Have you found out?"
“Sir, we’ve investigated everything.” Su Peng replied, “Three were convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death; two were convicted of robbery and murder; this one is a bit special…” Su Peng pointed to the man kneeling at the far end, who looked to be in his thirties and dressed in shabby clothes, and said, “His name is Yan Liang. He used to sell tofu. He was honest and kind. His wife was mentally challenged, and they had an eight-year-old son. He killed seven people and injured six, all of whom were neighbors from the same village. The incident stemmed from years of bullying from various families. On the day of the murders, a fight broke out between the children, and the neighbors beat his son. His mentally challenged wife stepped forward to protect her child, and as a result, both mother and son were beaten by the group…”
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhengyang nodded and said, "Yes, lock Yan Liang up first. These few... take them to the jail. I will personally enforce the law."
"Yes, sir!"
Su Peng led Yan Liang towards the front hall, while Wang Yonggan stepped forward and swung the Soul-Slaying Ruler to beat the five ghosts, causing them to walk into the prison cells at the back.
Xu Zhengyang strode after him, but in his heart he was making a decision: a drug dealer, a robber and murderer, could not become a ghost messenger.
The five ghosts walked along in fear and trembling, pleading with the City God to forgive their sins. They knew they were wrong. In recent days, they had suffered countless beatings from the ghost guards, especially the one escorting them, who was despicable and shameless, torturing them in various ways.
The prison cell was created by Xu Zhengyang using his mind, based on what he had seen in TV dramas. It was dark and damp inside, and although it was all illusory, it was very real to ghosts and spirits.