Chapter 6.1

After the busy farming season, every household was finally free again, and National Day was just around the corner. Each family sat chatting at their doorsteps, and groups of elderly men were gathered around playing chess.

Aside from drinking tea, Su Ying’s father also enjoyed playing chess, so he had gone out early in the morning to meet his chess friends. After Su Ying finished editing the video in her hands and hit send, her phone rang.

Seeing “Supervisor Zhao” displayed on the screen, Su Ying couldn’t help but be puzzled. It had been nearly a month since she resigned, so why was she suddenly calling? Out of curiosity, Su Ying picked up the phone. On the other end, Zhao Yi’s voice was filled with flattery.

“Su Ying, what are you doing? It’s me, Zhao Yi.”

Su Ying was surprised Zhao Yi had called and replied coldly, “If it’s nothing, I’m hanging up.”

At that moment, a message notification popped up on her computer from Xiaomeng. Opening it, she read:

[Ying-jie, that old witch is calling you, right? I’m telling you, don’t bother with her. Remember the client from the project you resigned over? Zhao Yi’s made a huge mess. She’s pissed off the client so badly they said if things aren’t fixed, we’ll have to pay the breach-of-contract penalty. That old witch can’t fix it herself, so now she’s desperately trying to get you back. Be careful—the whole thing’s a mess.]

“Su Ying, you’ve had plenty of rest. Come back now, okay? The project really needs you. Look, the Yicheng project’s client specifically asked for you to be in charge.”

The Yicheng project was the same one that almost fell apart before Su Ying resigned because Zhao Yi had unilaterally changed the proposal budget, angering the client. Zhao Yi had tried to steal the project, which was what ultimately pushed Su Ying to leave—thankfully, she had received her resignation compensation.

On the phone, Zhao Yi spewed a bunch of soft words, essentially trying to convince Su Ying to come back and “save” the project. Su Ying was also curious as to what foolish things Zhao Yi had done. The proposal had already been finalized; in Su Ying’s experience, and with the client’s support, as long as it was executed according to the plan, there shouldn’t have been any issues.

Then Xiaomeng sent another long message that left Su Ying both laughing and speechless:

**[Sister Ying, I really can’t with that old witch. You know the Yicheng company’s new product is for middle-aged and elderly consumers, right? Your original proposal’s brand ambassador was perfect, but Zhao Yi didn’t like that they weren’t a top traffic star. Without consulting the client, she replaced them with a “big traffic” celebrity. The ad ended up being a total mess—the plot made no sense, and the online promotion targeted the completely wrong audience. A bunch of young girls love the celebrity, but they aren’t going to buy a product for middle-aged people. Sales tanked. The client just came to the company and blew up. If that old witch can’t fix this, both she and her uncle, the manager, are done for.

The boss just found out you resigned and was furious. He told Zhao Yi to bring you back or pay the breach-of-contract penalty herself. Three million yuan! Zhao Yi is finished this time.]**

Su Ying cut Zhao Yi off mid-sentence.

“Supervisor Zhao, I remember someone telling me to ‘get out,’ right? Well, here I am—out. And now you want me to come back and be your beast of burden? Keep dreaming.”

Zhao Yi hadn’t wanted to make the call in the first place, and now Su Ying had slapped her right in the face. She fought to control her temper. After all, the boss had already made it clear—if Su Ying didn’t return, Zhao Yi and her uncle would have to pay the three million themselves.

Three million! That wasn’t just about the money; it also meant she would lose her 500,000 yuan-a-year job. Zhao Yi could only humble herself and beg:

“It was my fault. Su Ying, please don’t hold a grudge. Just come back, okay? I promise I won’t fight you over projects again. Whatever conditions you want, I’ll agree.”

“Sorry, I don’t have the ability to help you,” Su Ying replied coldly. She had no intention of showing Zhao Yi any kindness. After all the years she had dedicated to the company, saying she hadn’t been hurt when she left would have been a lie. Su Ying loved her work, but ever since Zhao Yi arrived, countless projects had failed like children dying one after another.

Compared to the past, although being a short-video creator was new, she had not given up her passion and had found joy through the support of her fans, family, and friends.

Xiaomeng later live-reported how Zhao Yi reacted after Su Ying hung up—furious, Zhao Yi smashed her brand-new iPhone. The boss, realizing Zhao Yi couldn’t handle the situation, immediately instructed HR to process the resignations of Zhao Yi and her uncle, and demanded they compensate the company for the loss.

It truly was karma. The boss then discovered the company was filled with nepotism hires and ordered the HR director to clean house.

Because the boss owned more than one company, he couldn’t always oversee everything. He hadn’t expected such a big mess. Su Ying had been hired when the advertising company was first established. For the first two years, she had grown with the startup team, and the boss himself had witnessed her progress. He highly valued Su Ying’s abilities. Unfortunately, when he had shifted focus to a new business division, he had left the company in the hands of Zhao Yi’s uncle, who had also risen with the company—but had ultimately turned it into a mess.

Not long after Su Ying hung up on Zhao Yi, she received a call from the boss.

“President Gao.” Su Ying was still respectful toward the boss she had followed from the beginning. He was a rare self-made entrepreneur and had led the company to its glory days.

The boss also hoped Su Ying would come back, but now Su Ying had her own plans. Hearing she was now running a self-media business, the boss, as a fellow entrepreneur, understood that a founder could never abandon a new venture. Regretfully, there would be no chance to work together again.

Later, Su Ying heard from Xiaomeng that the boss had completely purged all the nepotism hires and brought in a new manager to run operations. He even heavily recruited new talent, and the company’s atmosphere was restored. As for Zhao Yi and her uncle, the new manager discovered they had been embezzling company funds and issuing fake invoices. The boss handed them over to the police, and they now awaited legal judgment.

—-

That day, Su Ying received a third call—this time from her landlord in S City.

The landlord wanted to confirm whether Su Ying would continue renting the apartment since she hadn’t been back for nearly a month. Her rent was already paid through the current quarter, but if she wanted to continue, she needed to pay the next quarter’s rent before National Day.

Su Ying’s apartment was fairly spacious—50 square meters, more than enough for her. It was a one-bedroom, one-living-room layout with a monthly rent of 2,000 yuan. The only downside was the distance from the company; commuting took at least three hours every day, and even reaching the subway required a 15-minute bike ride. For S City, it wasn’t expensive, as it was located on the urban outskirts.

But now that Su Ying had decided to settle back in the village, and her self-media account was on track, she knew she needed to go back to S City to wrap things up. Since the farming season was over, she figured she could take her parents on a trip while handling the matters. She pulled out her phone and started checking tickets—after all, as a meticulous planner, travel plans were a must.

When her father returned home at noon, Su Ying brought it up during lunch. Her parents were thrilled.

That night, they packed lightly—Su Ying only brought an empty suitcase, as there were still clothes left at her apartment.

Early the next morning, the family headed to the bus station. Su Ying’s father bumped into his old friend Uncle Chen and exchanged a few happy words. When Uncle Chen learned they were going to S City for a trip, he was genuinely pleased for them.

The bus departed, and the family headed toward the county’s long-distance bus station. The journey was long, and Su Ying’s mother, who was prone to motion sickness, fell asleep as soon as they got on. Su Ying’s father sat beside her, carefully covering her with a jacket. After three hours, they arrived.

From the bus station, Su Ying led her parents through the exclusive business-class entrance. Inside was a dedicated lounge. She explained the differences of business-class travel to her frugal parents, who worried it might be too expensive. But Su Ying reassured them, “Don’t worry. I used the money I earned from my account. It’s enough.”

Her parents weren’t the type to ruin the mood, so they agreed to enjoy the experience.

The lounge offered plenty of snacks, fruit, and drinks. Su Ying helped them pick out some favorites.

“Sweetie, when do we board the train?” her mother asked as she nibbled on fruit.

“Don’t worry, Mom. A flight attendant will come to guide us when it’s time,” Su Ying replied.

Half an hour later, a neatly dressed attendant approached, confirming their train number and seats before escorting them directly through the exclusive channel to the carriage, without any need to queue.

Once inside, the attendant helped stow their luggage. Business class only had three seats per row, and for Su Ying’s parents, who had never even been on a high-speed train before, the experience was completely new.

Su Ying showed them how to adjust their seats and use the window shades. The attendant brought complimentary snacks, drinks, earplugs, and eye masks. Since the journey was long, Su Ying helped her parents change into disposable slippers and recline their seats flat. The attendant even brought them soft blankets.

“I never thought traveling could be this comfortable,” her mother said in amazement.

“Exactly,” Su Ying replied with a smile. “Now that we have high-speed trains, it’s so convenient. I’ll take you on more trips in the future.”

Her father was already snoring softly, and before long, her mother drifted off too. Su Ying sat quietly with her phone, reading a novel she had left halfway through.

The three-hour journey stopped at a few stations, but the business-class cabin remained quiet since they were the only passengers. Her parents slept comfortably until they were gently woken by the attendant just before arrival.

Compared to their small county town, S City was truly bustling. Even the high-speed rail station was several times larger than the county station. Just exiting the station took nearly ten minutes.

Su Ying had booked a hotel at the Bund. As soon as they disembarked, she called a car, and twenty minutes later, they arrived at a luxurious hotel with panoramic 180-degree views of the Bund. She had booked two connected deluxe rooms, each with a large bed and a balcony with a stunning view.

After checking in, it was nearly 2 p.m. Su Ying ordered delivery, which was brought to their door by a service robot. After a light meal, she let her parents rest while she set an alarm for 4 p.m.

When the alarm went off, Su Ying freshened up and knocked on her parents’ door. They had already woken and were enjoying tea on the balcony using the hotel’s tea set, made from the high-quality black tea her father had brought. Su Ying joined them, savoring the fragrant, smooth tea while admiring the Bund’s scenery.

After tea, they headed to dinner at a revolving restaurant at the top of the Pearl Tower—the tallest revolving restaurant in the city. At night, they could admire the full beauty of the river and skyline.

The restaurant was on the 267th floor. Su Ying had purchased a combo ticket, so besides dinner, they could also visit the observation decks. She didn’t plan to make her parents walk too much, so they kept it light.

When they arrived, the elderly couple was immediately captivated by the breathtaking view from the window. As night fell, the city lights came alive in a dazzling display.

Dinner was a buffet with both Chinese and Western dishes. Since it was their first time, Su Ying encouraged them to pick whatever they liked. They eagerly tried a variety of foods, even things they had never eaten before. Su Ying enjoyed herself too, grabbing some favorites and a glass of red wine.

After dinner, she took them to the observation deck, where the night view was spectacular.

By the time they returned to the hotel, they were a little tired from the day’s travel. Su Ying had already arranged to settle with her landlord the next day and collect her deposit, so the family went to bed early.

Little did they know, something big was about to happen tomorrow.