It was a late spring evening, warm with a hint of heat. Li Wenshui put on his sunglasses and walked into the company with a straight back. He was wearing a Hong Kong-style floral shirt today, and the bright red color made his skin look fair and radiant, like a dazzling peacock, attracting people’s attention. However, being good-looking didn’t necessarily mean having good social relationships. Li Wenshui’s beauty intimidated people, making them keep their distance. He wasn’t popular in school, and it was the same at the influencer company.

The way to survive in the workplace is to maintain harmony, resolving problems without making things ugly. After all, they were all influencers, and any public drama could tarnish their reputation. But Li Wenshui broke this harmony the first time he filmed a scripted video. He was very harsh with a new influencer, shooting the video again and again, pointing out flaws each time. The new influencer couldn’t handle the pressure and ended up crying on their first day of work. From then on, the news of Li Wenshui being harsh and bullying newcomers spread throughout the company, and no one wanted to work with him. Meanwhile, the new influencer, Suge, whom Li Wenshui had bullied, had become a rising star at the company, flourishing in his career.

At the office door, Li Wenshui was about to knock when the manager walked over from the hallway, surprised, “What are you doing here?”

Li Wenshui smiled gently, his eyes softening. “Li Ge, I wanted to ask about the support plan.”

The manager’s eyes shifted, and he pulled Li Wenshui aside, lowering his voice. “Suge was chosen because his traffic has been good recently, just to be fair.”

Li Wenshui slightly furrowed his brows, enduring the manager’s dirty hand on his waist. “I can understand Suge, but there are three spots in total. The other two influencers who were chosen have worse stats than me and don’t look as good. Why?”

“Well…” The manager gave a knowing smile. “Those two were specifically requested by Ji Xingzhou.”

Ji Xingzhou was a rising star in the company, not only well-known but also closely connected to the vice president. Li Wenshui rarely came to the company and didn’t know who the vice president was, but he had heard that the vice president was very wealthy, probably some bald old man. But since Ji Xingzhou had spoken up, Li Wenshui knew that he had no chance this time.

However, to secure the spot, he had already spent so much on gifts. He didn’t know how many times he had endured the greasy manager’s advances. The manager’s hand on his waist made Li Wenshui feel sick.

“Don’t be upset, Wenshui. I’m keeping you in mind. Next time there’s an opportunity, I’ll think of you first. If you’re really in a hurry, you can also try to find someone to back you up…” The manager’s hand slowly moved to Li Wenshui’s hip, pretending to be serious. “I don’t want someone as talented as you to be wasted.”

Li Wenshui stepped back in disgust, smiling. “Thank you for your kindness, Li Ge. I’m still young. I want to try and make it on my own.”

The manager glanced at his empty hand and snorted. “You don’t know how to appreciate kindness. That was me giving you a chance. If you stay this stubborn, you’ll just wait and see. Even if something good falls from the sky, it won’t hit you. The vice president is waiting in the office. Don’t come looking for me again.”

Li Wenshui took a deep breath to suppress his rising anger. As he turned around, a cup of coffee came flying towards him, spilling most of it. He ignored the burn, his eyes fixed on the large stain on his silk shirt. His anger surged to the top of his head. This was a borrowed shirt!

“Can’t you watch where you’re going?!”

“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t mean it,” the boy looked up, his big eyes wide and innocent. “Wenshui Ge, how… how is it you? Let me wipe it off for you.”

Suge pulled out a tissue and randomly wiped at Li Wenshui’s clothes. “Why are you here today? Is it for the support plan? How come you’re not on the list? I thought you’d definitely be on it. I was even thinking if we both got selected, we could collaborate more in the future.” He sighed dramatically. “Ah, what a shame!”

Suge repeatedly mentioned the fact that Li Wenshui didn’t make the list, using the softest tone, but it was more about showing off than expressing regret. The tissue left more and more lint on Li Wenshui’s shirt, and he grabbed Suge’s hand, throwing it aside. “I see not only is your eyesight poor, but your hands are useless too. If they’re no good, just donate them,” Li Wenshui sneered, looking at Suge’s innocent face. “I don’t want to work with someone like you, who can’t act, has no script ideas, and cries at the slightest trouble. You’re just empty-headed and will only drag me down.”

Li Wenshui took off his shirt and threw it into Suge’s arms. “No need to wipe it anymore. This shirt costs 13,500, you’re paying for it.”

Now only wearing a tank top, Li Wenshui’s body was slender, the kind that made people think of someone fragile and needing protection. But at this moment, with his sunglasses on and his expression proud and aggressive, it was Suge who seemed like he needed protection. The commotion attracted the attention of others nearby, and Suge lowered his head, awkwardly holding the shirt.

“How can it be so expensive? Plus, you’ve worn this shirt, it smells like hot pot. It’s not worth that price, is it?”

“I came from a hot pot restaurant. What? Can’t I eat hot pot? So if I ate hot pot, you won’t compensate me?” Li Wenshui had worked at the hot pot shop all day, only smelling the food, not having the chance to eat. To argue with the manager, he had borrowed the shirt and specifically showered before changing, worried about leaving any smell. He didn’t think the shirt would smell like hot pot, but the feeling of guilt made him unnecessarily add, “I ate hot pot.”

Suge’s eyes reddened as he looked up. “Wenshui Ge, you have money, always traveling, with WeChat steps of twenty thousand a day, posting about eating, drinking, and having fun. And I’m just a newcomer, it’s hard for me to take out more than ten thousand at once.”

Li Wenshui thought to himself that he walked more than twenty thousand steps a day working, while Suge just sat at home making videos and earning money. Now he was crying poverty to him? His anger only grew.

“If you don’t want to pay, then let’s go to the police and have them mediate!” Li Wenshui grabbed Suge’s arm, trying to drag him out. Suge struggled and refused to leave.

Other colleagues came to intervene. “Wenshui, let’s talk this out. It’s just a shirt, no need to make things ugly. Can we come to a compromise?”

“No compromise,” Li Wenshui continued pulling him. “Also, remember the last video we shot together that made it to the trending list? You still haven’t given me the revenue share. I came up with the script, I appeared the most, and I put in the most effort. I should be getting the biggest share.”

Some colleagues couldn’t stand it and whispered, “Li Wenshui, are you just all about the money? Is this small thing really worth it?”

“Yes,” Li Wenshui admitted without hesitation, “I’m all about the money. Small thing? Are you paying me for it?”

Someone else muttered, “What’s with the sunglasses? Doesn’t he know he’s just a washed-up influencer? He’s acting like he’s so important.”

In the office, Liang Jin leaned back on the sofa, leisurely watching the scene unfold outside the window. The manager was halfway through his report when he noticed the vice president wasn’t paying attention, staring elsewhere. He followed Liang Jin’s gaze, and his expression turned sour.

“Sorry for disturbing you, I’ll be back soon!” The office door opened, and the manager angrily said, “What’s all the fuss about? The vice president is here!”

The crowd dispersed, but Li Wenshui still firmly held Suge, who was tearfully clutching the shirt.

“Want to make a scene? Go home! This is the company! Aren’t you embarrassed?” The manager shoved Li Wenshui aside and turned to Suge, switching to a concerned tone. “Are you okay? If you’ve been bullied, tell me, I’ll help you!”

Li Wenshui was suddenly pushed, and the sunglasses that Luo Jianan had given him fell to the ground, revealing his still-swollen face that had been hidden by the glasses.

Everyone was staring at Li Wenshui’s face, their eyes filled with curiosity, schadenfreude,^[1]pleasure derived by someone from another person’s misfortune. and mockery. Every gaze felt like an invisible arrow, piercing Li Wenshui’s vanity and self-esteem. Instinctively, he looked away, and through a gap in the curtain, his gaze met Liang Jin’s in the office. Liang Jin was lounging with his legs crossed, watching the scene like it was entertainment. For some reason, Li Wenshui’s heart tightened.

He took a deep breath, picked up the sunglasses, and put them back on. He grabbed his shirt and stood tall, saying, “Suge, you have one day to compensate, or we’ll go to the police.”

The commotion ended with Li Wenshui’s strong stance and the threat of calling the police. Was he embarrassed? Li Wenshui was never afraid of embarrassment; he was just afraid of not having money. As the sun set and the evening breeze picked up, Li Wenshui took off his sunglasses and carefully put them away. He sat exhausted on a park bench and dialed Luo Jianan’s number. The other side picked up almost immediately.

“Wenshui, what’s up? I’m out shopping with my mom. Do you need anything? I’ll bring it to you.”

Li Wenshui stared at the stains on his shirt, carefully wiping them with a wet wipe. “Do you know… where Liang Jin will be at this time?”

“Huh? My cousin?”

“Yeah, I’m just asking.”

“You’re not just asking, right? Are you worried that my cousin will cause trouble because of yesterday’s incident? Don’t be scared. My cousin’s scary reputation is exaggerated; he doesn’t bully the weak. He won’t care about you staying in his room. Don’t worry.”

“Oh…”

One hour later, at the private gym.

Liang Jin got off the treadmill and sat down, lightly tapping his knee. As he breathed heavily, his chest rose and fell slightly, his muscles thin yet beautifully defined, hiding strength. Unlike those rich kids with bad habits, Liang Jin was meticulous about his upkeep. He was not only particular about his food, clothing, and lifestyle but also highly disciplined.

His phone buzzed, and Liang Jin looked down at the screen, catching a glimpse of a pair of faded canvas shoes in his peripheral vision. His gaze shifted up, and Li Wenshui, wearing an ordinary white T-shirt and shorts, with his arms and legs exposed, was holding a bag of mangoes, smiling at him.

“Busy? Did I disturb you?”

Using his keen sense of hearing, Li Wenshui had managed to find out where Liang Jin was through Luo Jianan, and also learned that Liang Jin liked the expensive “Guifei” mangoes from Nan Street. When he saw the price in the store, he was shocked by the hundreds of yuan. He didn’t buy them but instead bought regular mangoes for five yuan a pound at a fruit stand.

“How did you get in?” Liang Jin asked.

Li Wenshui set the mangoes down. “I observed that the security guard has a five-minute break during shift change, so I came in during that time.”

Liang Jin glanced at the mangoes, clearly brought to please him, then looked back at Li Wenshui’s ingratiating smile. “What’s the matter?”

“I came to apologize for yesterday.”

Liang Jin had known Li Wenshui for less than a week, and in that short time, he had witnessed Li Wenshui argue with others three times, each time coming out victorious. He didn’t think Li Wenshui would willingly apologize; someone like him would only apologize to achieve some goal.

Liang Jin stood up, hands in his pockets, looking down at Li Wenshui, and pulled a faint smile. “Luo Jianan wasn’t enough for you to fool? Now you’re shifting your target to me?”