The shrimp and chicken didn’t fall on the ground, just slid onto the tray, but…

Since he was tall and holding the tray at a high position, no one noticed.

After sitting down, the garlic cloves in his plate blended with the sauce of the three-cup chicken, so at first glance, it looked just like the chicken pieces.

Jin’s father, who had followed the scent to the table, was already starving. He immediately popped a piece of chicken into his mouth and nodded as he chewed: “Not bad, not bad. The chefs here could work in a restaurant.”

The three-cup chicken was made with chicken wings and thighs, not luxurious ingredients, but it was tender and smooth.

The sauce was well-seasoned, coating the chicken with a salty, fragrant flavor.

“It’s actually meant for the restaurant. The R&D department has them practice the new dishes here in the cafeteria, and once they’re ready, they can send them directly to the new store,” Jin Yaotiao said casually, picking up a stir-fried shrimp.

It tasted as good as it looked, crispy on the outside, with a rich flavor that had soaked into the shrimp meat.

Jin Yaotiao nodded. “Mom, try this.”

She picked up a shrimp and handed it to her mother.

Across from her, Shen Qiming stared at his tray with a pair of chopsticks, unable to bring himself to eat the garlic cloves.

He picked up the shrimp missing its body parts, staring at its intact head.

Meanwhile, Xu Wan bit into a piece of potsticker, feeling the heat as she chewed.

The skin was indeed very thin, and the filling was not the typical dumpling stuffing but rather dispersed, making it juicy.

When she bit into it, the crispy bottom made a satisfying crunch, and the beef and celery filling, mixed with the broth, spilled out.

She burned her tongue slightly but couldn’t help but relish the taste.

Xu Wan looked around. The Mingde cafeteria was filled with people, all happily enjoying their meals.

They looked so content, chatting and laughing without any sign of stress or pressure from work, unlike employees at any company she had seen.

Suddenly, Xu Wan turned to Jin’s mother. “Sister Zhang, the food here is amazing.”

Jin’s mother smiled. “Right?”

Xu Wan hesitated for a moment before saying, “I actually studied art in college. I graduated from Berkeley, but I’m a little older now, and I’m not sure what I should be doing.”

Jin’s mother thought she was talking about career plans, so she jokingly said, “It’s nothing. I don’t have work experience either. I’ve been a full-time wife for so long, and I’ve forgotten everything I studied. I’m out of touch with society and don’t understand a lot of new things. Old Jin used to make fun of me, saying I didn’t cook well, and maybe I should come work as a receptionist at Mingde’s admin department, hahaha…”

Xu Wan’s eyes brightened. “Sure.”

Jin’s mother: “???”

Jin’s father: “???”

Jin Yaotiao: “???”

Shen Qiming, still staring at the shrimp head, was equally confused: “?”

At a nearby table, a few sharp-eared Mingde executives dropped their shrimp heads in shock.

They stared at the shrimp heads on the table, exchanged looks, and couldn’t help but pick them up carefully.

My god, the mother of the Jingmao Group’s president—someone whose footsteps could shake the country—wants to come work as a receptionist at Mingde just because of a meal?

They couldn’t waste this shrimp head; they simply couldn’t!

Jingmao, a tense atmosphere between two groups of lawyers.

They sat at separate tables, their positions as if they were dividing the country in two.

One party’s representative was elderly with white hair and a stern demeanor, while the other, much softer and frailer, avoided eye contact.

The stern one had a pair of sharp eyes that seemed to suppress a growing anger, while the frailer one turned her head to gaze out the window, unwilling to meet his gaze.

The meeting room was filled with nothing but calm presentations from the lawyers, mostly focusing on the division of various cash, stocks, real estate, and other assets.

After decades of marriage, the boundaries of their personal assets had long been blurred, and now, with the sudden proposal for a divorce, there was no time left for the parties involved to make any moves.

Thanks to the quick action of the lawyers, there wasn’t even a chance for the assets to be transferred. After lengthy discussions, Father Shen finally heard a number that was even larger than he had anticipated.

He was going to lose half of his fortune in the dissolution of this marriage.

What is a devastating loss?

This was it.

The fury in his eyes seemed to boil like magma, but he restrained himself, mindful of his dignity and the warning his son had given him. He couldn’t let his anger show.

It might not have mattered if it was only his wife who was involved; perhaps she wouldn’t have been able to hurt him.

But if his son, who now controlled Jingmao’s headquarters, were to take action, his authority could be shattered in an instant.

After all, for someone as concerned with face as him, how could he bear having his family’s disgrace become public gossip, spreading everywhere?

---

When the meeting ended, the lawyer, smiling, addressed the gentle and beautiful client, “Ms. Xu, congratulations. With your current assets, you could easily make it onto the list of the wealthiest women.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Wan merely curved the corners of her lips.

She had never known the taste of financial hardship.

Her reason for the divorce wasn’t about money.

However, seeing her previously cold and aloof husband—no, her ex-husband—furiously glaring after hearing the lawyer’s feedback, she couldn’t help but genuinely smile.

The last time she had seen such a reaction from him was when he unexpectedly lost his power and was forced into retirement, leaving the country.

Losing his money and power had been as devastating as losing his life.

It turned out she too had the ability to wound him deeply.

Once again, she appreciated the beauty of impulsive actions.

Xu Wan thanked the lawyer, then, in front of her ex-husband, generously handed out a thick red envelope to the legal team.

Amid their repeated gratitude, she picked up her bag and left the meeting room.

Passing by her son’s office, she hesitated for a moment before having her assistant announce her presence. After knocking, she entered. Her son was at work.

Two of the three monitors on his desk were displaying live stock market feeds, and the sound of typing echoed from the keyboard as the atmosphere remained calm.

Her son looked up. His expression was so composed that it seemed as if it wasn’t his own parents getting divorced. He simply asked, “What’s up?”

Xu Wan, standing by the door, looked at him with a complicated expression, then smiled. “Nothing. The asset division has been settled. I just came to inform you.”

Shen Qiming nodded, “I know.”

Xu Wan thought for a moment and said, “No matter what, Qiming, I want to thank you for your support.”

Shen Qiming remained silent, but behind her, her ex-husband let out a cold laugh, barely suppressing his anger. “Yes, you should thank him. He’s growing up, now helping his parents with their divorce.”

Xu Wan glanced at him and turned to leave. Shen’s father, furious, punched the air in frustration.

He was looking for someone to vent on, and turned his attention to his son. “Are you satisfied now?”

Shen Qiming replied calmly, “It has nothing to do with me.”

Shen’s father, still enraged, shot back, “If this news spreads, it’ll be a disgrace to the entire Shen family and to Jingmao. You think it has nothing to do with you?”

Shen Qiming glanced at the stock market on his monitor. “It’s you who are getting divorced, what does that have to do with Jingmao?”

Hearing this, Shen’s father threw his head back in frustration, a few more gray hairs sprouting at his temples.

He was steaming with rage. “My wife left, and now your wife has left! Don’t act like you’re any better than me!”

Shen Qiming paused, fingers hovering over the keyboard. “…”

Meanwhile, Jiang Sen, who had always kept his distance from the family’s conflicts, was silently shaking his head from behind the door of his office.

“Impressive, impressive. I’ve never heard anything like this before. You two are indeed equal, both have the same strength.”

This was something he called a family of two heroes, father and son, both single.

The employees of Jingmao’s private group chat, which had been silent for a long time, became active again after the news broke.

【Shocking! President Shen got dumped by Mrs. Shen!!!】

【What? What’s going on? Am I dreaming? I’ve heard this news before, but why does it sound so familiar?】

【It’s not an illusion. President Shen has been dumped by his wife a long time ago, why are we bringing up this old topic again?】

【No, no! This time, it’s not the same President Shen who was dumped before! This is President Shen’s father! The old President Shen!】

【???】

【???】

【Wait, let me sort this out.】

【Black man questioning face.】

---

That day at the Mingde canteen, the topic of conversation took everyone by surprise.

The Jin family thought Xu Wan was joking, but little did they know, the newly wealthy woman truly came to Mingde to report for duty after becoming single again.

And she did it quite formally, submitting a proper resume.

Jin Yaotiao looked at the resume, where the work experience section was honestly filled with “0,” and realized Xu Wan was serious.

This woman, like a statue, how could Jin Yaotiao dare to casually hire her?

The first thing she did was reject the offer: “Aunt Xu, you’re not lacking money, why do you want to work at Mingde?”

Xu Wan smiled, “I just think your company’s culture is very appealing.”

Mingde’s culture?

Jin Yaotiao immediately thought of the zombie-like employee crowd during mealtime. Xu Wan smiled again. What she actually admired was the constant presence of happy faces among the employees in this small company.

While both were busy, Jingmao was busy with restraint and repression, whereas the employees at Mingde seemed to be full of anticipation every day.

The executives here could easily mingle with the regular staff in the cafeteria, discussing whether the best dish at lunch was potstickers or sautéed shrimp.

In her view, even the elites, who were usually concerned with their dignity and proper gentlemanly conduct, could hold their trays and crowd around small tables, intimately sharing dishes they considered particularly tasty.

Was it a case of the higher-ups setting an example?

This company, so warm, just like the Jin family.

She wanted to get closer to this circle, which was so attractive to her, but as a family member…

Well, that seemed a bit difficult now. So, why not just become an employee here? After all, she didn’t have anything specific she wanted to do for the time being.

Jin Yaotiao looked at the beautiful academic background on Xu Wan’s resume and found herself in rare doubt.

Xu Wan’s education was undoubtedly high, but she had studied art and had no work experience. “Aunt Xu, it seems we don’t have any positions in the company that match your professional background.”

Given her background and experience, she should have been given a managerial position in any other company, right? Who would dare to ignore her?

Xu Wan, with her face that had been favored by time, said, “What kind of professional background is required for the front desk?”

Jin Yaotiao: “…”

This face was indeed more than enough for the front desk, but… was she serious?

Xu Wan wasn’t the type to joke around.

So, half an hour later, Mingde’s administrative department welcomed a new receptionist.