Chapter 21

After Lin Shu finished talking with Wang Yennian, she had a good night’s sleep. The next day, feeling refreshed, she arrived at Tianhao, and as expected, Xu Shijia was already at his desk, even before her.

He still looked handsome, dressed meticulously, with a carefully styled haircut. His overall appearance hadn’t changed much since the previous day, but the dark circles under his eyes made it clear he had endured a sleepless night.

Despite that, his lifestyle seemed undiminished. Even though he was yawning constantly, there was a premium coffee drink from Coffee Factory on his desk, which boasted that its beans were airlifted from abroad the same day. Alongside the coffee was a handcrafted breakfast from the same expensive, trendy shop.

Coffee Factory is the only branch of a famous foreign barista in the country, and it gained a lot of attention. Its coffee has a richer and more intense flavor, and it costs four to five times more than regular coffee. The café’s design even won architectural awards, making it a popular and upscale destination. Every day, people form long lines before the store opens to get the limited breakfast sets, which often sell out.

Wang Tie Niu, sitting next to Xu Shijia, clearly noticed the expensive coffee as well. Lin Shu overheard him curiously ask, “What time did you go? How long did you wait in line? You must have gotten up really early.”

“I’m not crazy. Why would I wait in line?” Xu Shijia replied, unsurprisingly. “I just hired a scalper and a delivery service.”

At this point, the store’s popularity had driven up the prices of both scalpers and delivery services. Xu Shijia’s behavior was typical of his pampered lifestyle.

Wang Tie Niu seemed genuinely interested in the coffee. He leaned in closer to Xu Shijia and asked, “Does it taste much different from regular coffee?”

“I’ve never had regular coffee, so I wouldn’t know,” Xu Shijia replied with another yawn, sounding as if he had no idea of the struggles of everyday life. “Honestly, Coffee Factory isn’t even that great, just average. But I’m sure I couldn’t stomach the rough taste of those chain coffee shops, you know? Their coffee has a coarser flavor.”

Wang Tie Niu looked envious. “That one cup would cost a regular worker a whole day’s wage. I buy the set breakfast downstairs, and if I’m lucky, I can get it for five bucks.”

“Five bucks?” Xu Shijia’s eyes widened slightly. “Can you even eat something for five bucks? No business sells at a loss. If they’re selling it to you for five, it must cost fifty cents to make. What kind of quality are you getting? I bet it’s full of E. coli, staph, and H. pylori…”

Though Xu Shijia had spent the night in a tense situation, he clearly hadn’t accepted his “fallen prince” status yet. Even though his family had cut him off financially, he still had some savings, and it was obvious he didn’t plan to start tightening his belt anytime soon. He seemed to have a faint sense of crisis, which was why he was finally showing up to work on time.

It was time to wake him up to reality.

“Xu Shijia, come to my office.”

Only then did Xu Shijia realize Lin Shu had arrived. A trace of reluctance crossed his face, but he pressed his lips together and got up to enter her office.

“Do you have a case you want to assign to me?” he asked as soon as he stepped inside. Lin Shu glanced at him. He sat in the chair across from her desk, not even attempting to be respectful. His posture was lazy and overconfident, as if he were the one in charge. His face carried an air of superiority and a stubborn attitude. Anyone unfamiliar with the situation could easily mistake him for the boss.

Lin Shu remained calm, feeling only pity for him and his entitled demeanor.

Heh, let him be arrogant. His days are numbered.

“A case for you?” Lin Shu feigned surprise. “Didn’t you say yesterday you wanted to resign? I called you in today to talk about that.”

“I thought over what you said yesterday. You’re right. The only way to gain the trust of the team is to treat everyone equally. Knowing that you’re Wang Yennian’s son, it would indeed be hard to be completely fair. So, I’ve decided to approve your resignation request from last night. I called you in to discuss the resignation process. First, you’ll need to submit a resignation letter through the OA system…”

Xu Shijia, aware that his finances were running low with no new income in sight, looked visibly flustered at the mention of resignation.

But he quickly regained his composure, cleared his throat, and said in a considerate tone, “If I leave, it’ll cause trouble for you. The partners at Tianhao will surely pressure you. Haven’t you been aiming for a promotion? If I go, you’ll never get promoted.”

“We should all consider others more and be less selfish. After thinking it over, I realized we don’t have any real, irreconcilable differences. Perhaps there were some misunderstandings, but nothing serious. It’s better to leave some room for compromise. So, I’ll stay on and endure for now. Let’s forget about the resignation.”

Lin Shu looked at him with the firm authority of a just boss and replied, “Though I’ll face pressure for letting you go, it’s my duty to bear that as a leader. Only with pressure can we grow. You don’t need to worry about me. I know you’ve been unhappy at work for a while, so there’s no need to endure it anymore. Go ahead and resign.”

Lin Shu smirked inwardly. Xu Shijia thought he was the only one who could act?

She looked at him with exaggerated sympathy. The gentler her tone, the more his expression faltered.

But after a brief pause, he regained his composure and feigned a carefree attitude once more. “You’re right. But without realizing it, I’ve grown attached to this job. I consider this team my second home. Just thinking about leaving makes me brother Tie Niu and Xuhui. I couldn’t sleep at all last night. Look at these dark circles. That’s when I realized I already see them as my brothers. For their sake, I’ve decided to stay and share the workload to help them prosper.”

“Nonsense, just keep talking.”

“You’re not helping with their workload; you are their workload.”

Lin Shu looked at Xu Shijia with a blank expression.

Xu Shijia started to get nervous. He could no longer maintain his previous composure, and his speech quickened. “And you’re right, I should work hard and build my own career so I can make that girl who dumped me regret it.”

For some reason, as he said this, Xu Shijia even glared at Lin Shu.

Lin Shu, of course, knew when to ease off. It was clear now that Xu Shijia wasn’t going to resign. From the way he was desperately trying to stay at his job, it seemed likely that he had little money left. His good days were nearing an end.

When he was completely broke, that would be Lin Shu’s moment to strike.

There was no rush for that, though.

“Alright, since you’re so passionate about your work, you can stay with the team. But I will treat everyone equally and fairly.”

Having laid this foundation, Lin Shu was about to shift into her “tough boss” mode.

She sighed, pretending to be troubled. “After all, I didn’t know about your background initially, and I favored you because I believed in your potential. Even though my conscience is clear, others might misunderstand that I gave you special treatment because of your family ties.”

“So, to avoid any suspicion, I’ll be stricter with you from now on. To show fairness, I’ll assign you the most difficult cases. Since you don’t really need money, the cases I give you may not have the highest returns either. Is that okay with you?”

Hearing that he’d be given the hardest work with the least pay, Xu Shijia tried hard to control his expression, but the tension in his jaw was clear.

However, under the pressure of his dwindling finances, Xu Shijia—who had never been one to endure hardship—managed to hold back. Lin Shu watched as he forced a calm demeanor and said, “That’s fine, of course.”

He even forced a smile. “Exactly, why would I lack money? I’m working for the passion of it.”

Lin Shu couldn’t be bothered to continue engaging with Xu Shijia. She took an invitation from her drawer and handed it to him. “I need to organize and fairly distribute the cases I have on hand. Since you’re so eager to work, accompany me to this charity gala tonight.”

Everyone knew that charity galas often attracted high-profile attendees, mostly successful businesspeople—prime future clients. Lin Shu was still in the process of building her case sources, and attending such events was essential.

Choosing Xu Shijia to accompany her made sense. He could act as her assistant if needed, and since he was likely familiar with the charity gala scene and the main business figures of Rong City, he could serve as a useful guide.

Her decision turned out to be correct.

Though it was a charity event, it was anything but low-key. The venue was a luxury hotel in the city center, and the parking lot was filled with luxury cars.

When Lin Shu and Xu Shijia entered the hall, they found it brimming with well-dressed, polished attendees. Many of the faces were ones Lin Shu had seen in local newspapers or on the news.

The invitation Lin Shu received had been sent by Rong City’s charitable organization. Besides the time and place, there hadn’t been much detail. Upon arrival, Lin Shu discovered that the gala’s theme was to support deaf and mute children, with the event being sponsored by BaiRui Technology, in collaboration with the charity organization.

The event hadn’t officially begun yet, but early attendees who knew each other were already chatting.

“Mr. Bai, the CEO of BaiRui Technology, wasn’t known for hosting charity events before. Why such a big show this time? Almost every major figure in Rong City is here. I heard they didn’t just invite businesspeople, but representatives from all walks of life. They even invited every media outlet in the city. The venue rental alone must have cost a fortune, right?”

“You don’t know, do you? BaiRui Technology has recently invested in manufacturing hearing aid chips. They want to break into the market, so they’re using this charity event for children with hearing disabilities as a way to promote their brand and get some good publicity. It’s a smart move—two birds with one stone.”

“Mr. Bai is a clever guy. From a social impact perspective, this event will give him great returns on the money spent for the venue.”

Lin Shu stood quietly, trying to gather as much useful information as possible.

As expected, the gossip continued—

“Don’t be so cynical. Mr. Bai’s wife has always cared deeply for children with hearing impairments. She donates every year and even adopted a deaf child three years ago.”

“Speaking of Mr. Bai and his wife, they have a beautiful story. Back when Mr. Bai was starting his company, he hadn’t even won her over yet, but he used the character ‘Rui’ from her name and paired it with his surname to create BaiRui Technology…”

“Really?”

“Absolutely! Mr. Bai has mentioned it in several interviews. His wife was his college classmate and first love. She was an academic star while he was a bit of a slacker. It wasn’t until he was 35 that he finally won her over and got married. Now they only have one son, who’s 11 years old.”

“Mr. Bai’s story is really inspiring. He was barely passing at Rong University’s law school, but love motivated him to work hard, and he eventually became a successful entrepreneur. Now he’s a distinguished alumnus and is invited to give speeches at the school’s anniversary every year. Has this year’s Rong University anniversary started yet? I heard they’ve invited him again.”

Although there was a commercial purpose behind it, the funds raised at this charity gala would go directly to helping underprivileged children with hearing impairments. It was genuinely a good cause.

And the fact that the couple had adopted a deaf child and that Mr. Bai’s wife consistently donated every year added to their admirable reputation.

Lin Shu had a natural admiration for businesspeople with a strong sense of social responsibility and saw Mr. Bai as someone worth connecting with, hoping to expand her business opportunities in the future.

Moreover, since Mr. Bai was a Rong University law graduate, and his wife was also from the law school, this shared background would give Lin Shu an easy entry point for building a relationship with them.

As for Xu Shijia, with his remaining funds dwindling, his arrogance was still intact. Instead of showing any respect for the praise directed at Mr. Bai, he simply scoffed and let out a derisive snort.

Although Bai Rui Technology is a thriving tech company, it still has a significant gap compared to Xin He Yi—much like the difference between new wealth and old money. However, that still doesn’t justify Xu Shijia’s rude behavior.

“President Bai built his business from scratch. While he was an average student in school, through his hard work, he became an honorary alumnus. Unlike you, who was born with everything, he earned his success, which makes him even more admirable.”

Lin Shu couldn’t stand Xu Shijia’s disdainful attitude toward Bai Feng and added pointedly, “Moreover, he’s incredibly loyal. In college, he admired a top student, and through his persistence, they eventually became a couple. What does that show? Whether in business or love, if you don’t give up, there will always be light at the end of the tunnel. His perseverance is something most men don’t have.”

“By the way, he’s also your senior from the law school at Rong University. Given how exceptional he is, you should learn from him.”

Ironically, bringing this up only made Xu Shijia’s expression even more mocking.

Just then, the charity gala organizers finally arrived, albeit late.

Amidst the flashes and camera clicks, Bai Feng walked onto the stage with his wife and two boys.

Like most business owners, Bai Feng had begun to show signs of middle-age weight gain. His facial features weren’t particularly striking, and he was somewhat short, but his carefully chosen outfit added some color to his otherwise plain appearance.

His wife, however, was clearly a beauty—fair-skinned, tall, and though they were classmates, she looked at least ten years younger than Bai Feng. Her evening gown accentuated her elegance, and her smile exuded the carefree grace of a well-off woman.

She held hands with two boys who were about the same height and looked quite handsome, dressed identically, like twins.

“Good evening, everyone. Thank you for attending tonight’s event. I am deeply grateful to be able to host such a meaningful occasion, and on behalf of our family, especially Bai Fan, I thank you all.”

After a brief introduction, Bai Feng gently pushed one of the boys forward, “As many of you know, my wife has been dedicated to supporting children with hearing and speech impairments. About three years ago, by chance, we met Bai Fan. He had been abandoned due to congenital deafness, which is truly heartbreaking, and he’s close in age to our son, Bai Chen. My wife felt deep sympathy for him and thought it would be nice for our son to have a companion, so we went through the legal process and adopted Bai Fan.”

“Adopting Bai Fan got me thinking about what our company could do to really help hearing-impaired children. That’s how Bai Rui Technology began its initiative in the hearing aid chip industry, and it’s also the reason we’re hosting this charity event—to give more children like Bai Fan opportunities.”

Though Bai Feng’s appearance was ordinary, his speech was quite moving. By the end, the audience erupted into applause.

Bai Feng, clearly touched by the atmosphere, patted Bai Fan on the back and affectionately said, “So, why don’t we let Bai Fan pick the first auction item to kick off the event?”

At first, Bai Fan seemed a bit nervous and confused, but after a brief pause, he nodded and selected the first item for auction.

With that, the event officially began.

As everything got underway, Bai Feng and his family stepped back, and professional auctioneers took over the proceedings.

After stepping down from the stage, Bai Feng’s wife sat with the two children while he was surrounded by people eager to network, exchanging pleasantries and business cards.

Lin Shu wasn’t in a rush. She waited until the crowd around Bai Feng thinned out before standing up, but when she turned to call Xu Shijia, she found he had slipped away at some point.

Completely unreliable, always disappearing at critical moments.

Not waiting any longer, Lin Shu briskly walked up to Bai Feng and handed him her business card.

As the head of Tianhao Law Firm, one of Rong City’s top firms, Bai Feng greeted Lin Shu courteously.

He seemed to be in a good mood. “Lawyer Lin, a pleasure to meet you. Anyone who sticks it out in the legal profession is tough. My wife and I are both law school graduates, but we ended up switching careers, so we’re the quitters.”

“You’re different though. You and your wife are excelling in other fields and are also committed to giving back to society—truly remarkable.”

Though Bai Feng likely had long-term legal partnerships already, Lin Shu seized the opportunity to promote her team while keeping the conversation polite.

She smiled and said, “Rong University’s law school does indeed produce many talented individuals. Actually, we have alumni from your class on our team. My colleague who came with me today is one of your direct juniors, also a Rong Law graduate.”

“Besides him, we also have another colleague, about your age, who graduated as an honors student from Rong University Law School. He’s outstanding and highly skilled. If you ever need legal services, we’d love to collaborate—perhaps you even know him.”

Hearing the word “alumni” seemed to pique Bai Feng’s interest, and he paused, clearly curious. “An honors graduate from Rong Law, about my age? What’s his name?”

“Liu Xuhui. Do you know him?”

“Liu Xuhui…” Bai Feng lowered his gaze slightly, repeating the name slowly. After a moment, he looked up with a smile. “Of course I know him! He was the top student and academic star back in our day. It’s just a shame he never shows up to reunions or alumni events—haven’t heard from him in years. So, he’s working at Tianhao now.”

With that, Bai Feng’s demeanor toward Lin Shu became much warmer. “So, Xuhui is on your team? Well, I already know how strong your team must be. We’ll definitely find an opportunity to collaborate—I’d love to catch up with an old classmate.”

Since Bai Feng had other matters to attend to at the charity auction, the conversation didn’t continue much longer, but Lin Shu had clearly succeeded in leaving a strong impression.

Bai Feng had just turned around when Xu Shijia finally arrived, fashionably late. Xu glanced at the business card in Lin Shu’s hand and immediately showed a look of disdain. “What’s the point of associating with someone like that?”

For some reason, Xu Shijia seemed full of hostility towards Bai Feng.

Lin Shu ignored him.

The auction had already started, and the atmosphere was buzzing with excitement. Yet, Xu Shijia’s face was full of contempt. He glanced at the item being bid on and sneered, “People are fighting over this kind of stuff? It’s already up to a million, but this thing is only worth a hundred thousand. I wouldn’t even offer a cent more.”

“This jade vase looks like a fake.”

“Why is this painting so ugly? And they’re all fighting over it? What kind of taste do these people have?”

It seemed like Xu Shijia was determined to oppose everything about Bai Feng’s charity auction. Whatever came up for bidding, he had something negative to say about it.

There were only a few items that caught his interest, but then he complained that the bidding wasn’t competitive enough. “Such a good item, and it’s wasted on these clueless people. This jade ruyi is worth at least a million, but the starting bid is only two hundred thousand, and they’re only raising it by ten thousand at a time. No taste and so stingy…”

Lin Shu finally couldn’t take it anymore. “If it’s such a good deal and the bidding is so slow, why don’t you make a bid? Or perhaps contribute to charity while you’re at it.”

Today was not like the past.

Sure enough, after Lin Shu’s remark, Xu Shijia’s expression turned a bit unnatural, and his voice lost some of its confidence. He pretended to clear his throat, coughing twice before weakly defending himself. “It might be good for them, but it doesn’t quite match my style.”

“As for charity, I’m certainly not going to waste money helping Bai Feng with his marketing stunts. I’d rather volunteer at a school for deaf and mute children, doing real good deeds.”

Xu Shijia had quite the talent for making his lack of funds sound so refined.

Lin Shu didn’t expose him, but after a brief silence, Xu Shijia spoke again.

“Hey, you’re not seriously going to work with Bai Feng, are you?” Xu asked lazily, scanning the auction items while lounging back with his legs crossed. “Just so you know, I’m not taking on his case.”

A bit narcissistic, aren’t we? Who said you’d be handling it?

“First, if a lawyer is always too picky about clients, they’d end up with no business and starve. Second, if we do secure Bai Feng’s business, I wouldn’t assign it to you; I’d give it to Liu Xuhui.”

Lin Shu resisted the urge to roll her eyes and briefly explained, “Liu Xuhui is an old classmate of Bai Feng and his wife. That connection makes it easier to earn their trust. Bai Feng clearly showed interest when he heard someone from our team was an old friend.”

“Liu Xuhui doesn’t like pursuing new clients and prefers maintaining business with familiar ones, right? Bai Feng is his classmate, so with that history, he’d probably be willing to take the case. Besides, Bai Feng’s company already has long-term legal counsel, so even if they collaborate with our firm, the work would start small. It wouldn’t be too much pressure—perfect for Liu’s style.”

This kind of case, which would increase income with minimal stress, seemed ideal for Liu Xuhui.

At first, Xu Shijia seemed stunned that the case wouldn’t go to him, but when he heard it was going to Liu Xuhui, he relaxed and even looked amused, as if waiting for a good show to unfold.

He raised an eyebrow at Lin Shu and spoke with certainty, “Liu Xuhui will never take Bai Feng’s case, not in a million years.”

Xu Shijia chuckled softly. “After all, who would work for the man who broke up his marriage, stole his wife, and made his daughter grow up without a mother?”