Volume One, Chapter 11: The Seduction Scheme

“Get lost!” Zhou Yang exploded in anger and pushed his female colleague to the ground.

Though inexperienced, he was no fool.

He knew very well that this was a seduction ploy orchestrated by Xie Hongtao.

Just now, when Zhou Yang walked in, he had accidentally witnessed a private moment between Xie Hongtao and that woman. Fearing Zhou Yang would expose this to headquarters, Xie Hongtao planned to use the woman to silence him.

At the same time, this would bring the two closer, preventing Zhou Yang from causing trouble in the future.

Two birds with one stone—clever indeed!

Most people wouldn’t be able to resist the temptation of this female colleague.

But Zhou Yang had spent the previous night with a woman like Tang Yumei, so his perspective was different.

At this moment, he was furious at Xie Hongtao’s scheme.

“Xie Hongtao, get over here!” Zhou Yang shouted towards the door.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming!” Xie Hongtao pushed the door open and entered with a forced smile.

“I’m about to do the work handover. If you keep messing around, I’ll report everything about you to headquarters! Want to give it a try?” Zhou Yang yelled.

“Xiao Zhou, calm down, calm down. I’m already preparing the handover for you—right now!” Xie Hongtao’s face fell in embarrassment.

The commotion in the office attracted the attention of other colleagues.

Those who normally envied, mocked, or looked down on Zhou Yang were stunned at this moment.

Though they appeared busy, their eyes and ears were fixed on Xie Hongtao’s office.

After a while, the handover was completed, and Zhou Yang prepared to leave.

Suddenly, he remembered something and turned back to Xie Hongtao.

“By the way, a week ago you said that people like me can’t achieve great things, and that if I ever succeed, you’d kneel and call me ‘Dad.’ Remember that?”

“Ah! I remember!” Xie Hongtao’s face turned pale.

“Then you’d better be ready!” Zhou Yang said through gritted teeth with a cold smile.

“Dad! You’re my dad!”

Xie Hongtao suddenly dropped to his knees.

“What are you doing?” Zhou Yang was taken aback.

He hadn’t truly succeeded yet—he’d only been promoted. Wasn’t this a bit premature?

But for Xie Hongtao, the stakes were too high.

His sales region failed to meet targets last year, and with half the year gone, it looked bleak again.

The company gave him a three-year probation period.

Next year would be his last chance. If he failed again, he’d be out.

Now that Zhou Yang was heading to the Marketing Department, if he made moves, the targets for next year would definitely rise, and Xie Hongtao wouldn’t be able to meet them.

At his age, leaving now would make it hard to find a similar job.

Besides, EPS Group was currently the best-paying pharmaceutical company in the country.

Xie Hongtao saw this job as his lifeline.

“Zhou Yang, I’m just a worker here. It’s not easy to settle down in Shen City. I have elderly parents to support. My child is just in elementary school. I still have over ten years on my mortgage. My wife had a car accident last year and is still bedridden. The whole family depends on me!”

Xie Hongtao wept openly, no longer caring about his managerial dignity. His face was sincere as he begged:

“I admit I’m sometimes petty, but for survival, I have no choice. I’ll call you ‘Dad’ now; you’re my real dad. Just don’t hold a grudge against me and let me retire smoothly. I’d even call you ‘Grandpa’ if you want!”

He knelt and kowtowed to Zhou Yang: “Please!”

At that moment, Zhou Yang’s heart was filled with complex emotions.

This seemingly worthless scoundrel had his own hardships.

“You have your struggles, but that doesn’t give you the right to abuse your power!” Zhou Yang said coldly.

“It won’t happen again, really!” Xie Hongtao promised. “I swear!”

Zhou Yang sighed deeply. “I’m not petty either. I can let this go, but I have one condition.”

Hearing this, Xie Hongtao knew there was hope and quickly agreed: “No problem, just say it!”

Zhou Yang helped Xie Hongtao to his feet and whispered in his ear:

“You have to tell me who the senior leader at headquarters is—the one trying to get involved with Tang Yumei.”

“Ah?”

Xie Hongtao was shocked and silent for a long moment.

“Don’t want to say?” Zhou Yang sneered through clenched teeth. “Fine, I won’t ask then.”

He turned to leave.

“Xiao Zhou!” Xie Hongtao grabbed him, his face flushed red as he summoned all his strength to speak: “I’m telling you, but don’t do anything crazy!”

Zhou Yang smiled faintly. “Do I seem like someone who acts recklessly?”

“All right!” Xie Hongtao leaned close and whispered, “The big boss who gave me the task is…”

***

The summer in Shen City was unbearably hot, the streets boiling in waves of heat, like a giant steam oven suffocating all who walked there.

Inside Tang Yumei’s villa, the air conditioning made the room cool and pleasant.

“Sister Mei, I’m here to say goodbye.”

Zhou Yang sat across from Tang Yumei, a trace of reluctance in his eyes.

Over these days, he had developed feelings for Tang Yumei that were hard to define.

He treated her like a sister, yet there was a stirring between them that felt both intoxicating and difficult to let go.

“Goodbye? Where are you going?”

Tang Yumei smiled, a ripe cherry dangling from her lips.

“I’m being transferred to EPS headquarters!” Zhou Yang said.

“Oh? That’s wonderful news!” Tang Yumei’s bright eyes sparkled as she smiled calmly. “Congratulations, Zhou Yang!”

Zhou Yang sighed. “That’s why I came today—to prepare all the prescriptions you need for your treatment. You just follow the dosage for each phase, and within half a year, your condition will be cured.”

Tang Yumei tilted her head slightly, fixing him with a coquettish gaze, eyelashes fluttering: “No, I want you to treat me all the way through!”

She rarely spoke in such a playful tone, and Zhou Yang’s heart melted instantly.

“Sister Mei, I wish I could!” Zhou Yang said. “Though the group headquarters is also in Shen City, it’s in Pucheng District, over a hundred kilometers from here. I won’t be able to come back to adjust your medicine in time.”

Tang Yumei playfully raised an eyebrow: “Then the sister will just move to Pucheng! I have a new house there that’s been empty. It’s very close to EPS headquarters.”

“Ah?”

Zhou Yang was momentarily stunned.

Did he hear that right?

Could it be that Sister Mei was willing to move to Pucheng because of him?

“Zhou Yang, what’s that expression for?” Tang Yumei frowned slightly, a displeased look on her face. “Don’t you welcome me?”

“No, no!” Zhou Yang hurriedly waved his hands. “I just don’t understand why you’d want to move when you’re living so well here…”

“How do you know I’m living well here?” Tang Yumei interrupted. “This house isn’t mine; it belongs to my husband. We had a big fight this morning, so I won’t be living here anymore.”

Zhou Yang’s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Xie Feng, that prodigal son, had gone to complain to his father, causing a quarrel between Sister Mei and her husband?

“Sigh,” Tang Yumei laughed bitterly. “Husband is just a title. We’ve basically never lived together since we married. Our marriage was arranged by our families. In fact…”

She sighed deeply. “Even our child was conceived through in vitro fertilization.”

“Ah?” Zhou Yang was astonished.

The lives of the wealthy were truly beyond comprehension.

“Enough of that,” Tang Yumei smiled with resignation and suddenly asked, “You’re going to work in Pucheng District, right? Do you have a place to stay yet?”

“Not yet, I’m planning to find a place,” Zhou Yang replied.

“It’s hard to find housing there!” Tang Yumei stood and patted Zhou Yang on the shoulder. “Perfect timing—I’m moving there too. My house has plenty of rooms; you can stay with me for now.”