Chapter 37: Punishment and Reward

  The elevator stopped with a "ding" sound, and when he walked out of the elevator, Zhong Xiaofei found that he had already arrived at the door of Yang Tianzeng's office on the 8th floor. Yang Tianzeng's office has two doors, one front door and one back door, and now he is standing in front of the back door.

  "It's indeed their secret passage." As she walked out of the elevator, Zhong Xiaofei turned her head to take another look, and in her heart, she became even more certain about her previous idea.

  The elevator and the corridor are connected, and the corridor leads directly to Wu Yijie's inner office, which is also where Wu Yijie usually rests. A secret passage connects them, and the relationship between the two people is already very clear.

  Although it is unknown when this secret passage was built, the clean and tidy environment suggests that it has been frequently used. Wu Yijie and Yang Tianzeng also often had clandestine meetings here.

  Xiang's heart sank to the bottom of the valley, cold and desolate.

  But in his heart, there was still a little bit of disbelief.

  Yang Tianzeng's chairman office is the highest power center of the company, Zhong Xiaofei has been in the company for several years, not to mention going to the 8th floor, even the offices of high-ranking officials on the 6th floor are rarely visited, so when he stepped into the chairman's office, he felt a slight tension.

  "Sit," Yang Tianzeng pointed with his cane at the brown leather sofa in the room.

  Zhong Xiaofei sat down, his eyes scanning the room, in front of him was a luxurious and spacious office like a presidential suite, from decoration to furnishings, everything showed the owner's luxury and elegance, from high-end ceramics to precious jade carvings, even a six-foot-long landscape painting.

  Sitting in such an office is just like sitting on a pile of money.

  Yang Tianzeng took out a cigar from the drawer, lit it up, and took a long drag. His eyes were fixed on Zhong Xiaofei, but he didn't seem to be in a hurry to speak, as if he was thinking about something.

  Zhong Xiaofei waited calmly, although still a bit uneasy. His mood had calmed down a lot now that the matter had been discovered. What's done was done, and there was no use regretting it. Let Yang Tianzeng punish him however he wanted - at worst, he would just resign.

  "You must be curious about Xiaoyi and me, right? Oh, by the way, Xiaoyi is Wu Yijie's nickname, I've always called her that." This was Yang Tianzeng's first sentence.

  Zhong Xiaofei nodded, yes, this was the biggest doubt in his heart. Although all the signs indicated that Wu Yujie and Yang Tianzeng's relationship was unusual, he still did not want to believe that Wu Yujie would be Yang Tianzeng's mistress!

  Because Yang Tianzeng is too old, he's so old that it seems like he doesn't have any sexual function anymore. With such an old man, how could the proud and noble Wu Yijie possibly follow him?

  "Alright, I'll tell you." Yang Tianzeng's voice was sorrowful. "This is my secret, and also hers. What happened between her and me, I've never told anyone before. You're the first listener."

  Zhong Xiaofei listened quietly. He was a bit nervous, because what Yang Tianzeng said would determine his and Wu Yuqie's future.

  "Nine years ago, I saw Xiao Yi at my alma mater's junior high school celebration. At first sight, I fell in love with her. She was still young and from a poor family, so I sponsored her. When she turned 18, I sent her to the US for further studies, bought her a car, and everything she liked. Whatever she asked for, no matter what it was, I never refused... But nine years have passed, and I haven't even held hands with her, yet you..."

  Yang Tianzeng suddenly choked with rage, "You just felt her all over, and almost... You say I shouldn't be angry..."

  Zhong Xiaofei was stunned and extremely shocked at the same time.

  Yang Tianzeng did not hide his intentions towards Wu Yijie at all, that is to say, for so many years he had been spoiling Wu Yijie, actually he was eyeing Wu Yijie's beauty, but never got his way, unexpectedly being surpassed by Zhong Xiaofei.

  "So that's what it means...... He and Wu Yijie don't have a special relationship? Wu Yijie is still a good girl?" Zhong Xiaofei was overjoyed in his heart, at this moment, he was so excited that he almost jumped up.

  Heaven knows how dejected he was just now, thinking Wu Yijie was a bad girl.

  Although he himself is no good thing, but he really can't accept that the goddess in his heart would actually be an old man's mistress.

  Yang Tianzeng calmed down a bit, let out a sigh, and continued to say, "For nine years now, she has no feelings for this old man at all, only willing to treat me as a foster father, alas!"

  Zhong Xiaofei suppressed the excitement in his heart and couldn't help but ask: "Does Wu Yujie know about your thoughts, Chairman?"

  Yang Tianzeng gave Zhong Xiaofei a cold glance and asked back: "Do you think she's an idiot?"

  Zhong Xiaofei stopped talking, Wu Yijie was certainly not a fool, with her intelligence she must have known Yang Tianzeng's thoughts, but she only recognized him as her adoptive father.

  No wonder Wu Yijie has a special status in the company, no wonder there is this secret passage, and no wonder Li Sanshi misunderstood her relationship with Yang Tianzeng.

  Everything made sense now, and Zhong Xiaofei let out a long sigh of relief in her heart.

  But Yang Tianzeng is really perverted, at such an old age, he can be Wu Yijie's grandfather, but he still wants to eat tender grass, too shameless!

  Zhong Xiaofei cursed in her heart, if all old men were like you, rich and shameless, wanting to find young and beautiful girls, old cows eating tender grass, then where would we young people go to find wives?

  "You say, should I be angry?" Yang Tianzeng stared at Zhong Xiaofei.

  "Right!" Zhong Xiaofei nodded heavily.

  "So should I punish you?"

  "Fine!" Zhong Xiaofei said sincerely, "Chairman, if punishing me can make you feel better, I accept any punishment!"

  "Really?" Yang Tianzeng stared at Zhong Xiaofei.

  Zhong Xiaofei nodded firmly. Only his goddess in heart was pure and he would not hesitate to pay any price for her.

  Yang Tianzeng shook his head, "No, I've already said it, I won't punish you, I just have a request..." Yang Tianzeng said with great helplessness and sadness.

  "You said." Zhong Xiaofei had guessed it in her heart and estimated that he wanted to break off his relationship with Wu Yijie.

  But Yang Tianzeng's request was beyond his expectation.

  "How many years have you been with Ty Company?" Yang Tianzeng asked first.

  "It's almost three years now." Zhong Xiaofei replied.

  "No, it seems you don't care much about your own affairs, so I'll tell you. You've been with the company for two years and eight months. At first, you were in the planning department, but due to your excellent abilities, you were promoted to the investment department by the former deputy manager of the investment department, Kang Nan. Hmm, that was two years ago, right?" Yang Tianzeng was very familiar with Zhong Xiaofei's situation.

  "Right." Zhong Xiaofei nodded, when he first entered TY company, Zhong Xiaofei worked in the planning department, later it was Nan Ge, also known as Kang Nan Hui who recognized his talent and promoted him to the investment department. However, after Nan Ge left, Zhong Xiaofei's career path was not smooth, he remained stagnant for a long time, despite his excellent work, he never got promoted until two days ago when Li San Shi promoted him to analyst.

  "Your credentials are complete, and your experience is also good. What's important is that you have outstanding abilities and have earned a lot of profits for the company. The fact that the company has not promoted you yet is Li Sanshi's dereliction of duty. That's why I want you to be Li Sanshi's deputy and serve as the Deputy Manager of the Investment Department," Yang Tianzeng said calmly.

  Zhong Xiaofei was left stunned and speechless. He thought his ears had gone bad and he had misheard.

  Is this deputy manager? Is this a punishment for myself?

  Things are changing too fast, Zhong Xiaofei's brain can't keep up, he can't figure out why Yang Tianzeng is doing this.

  "As long as you do well and achieve results, you can replace Li San Shi as the manager of the investment department at any time. The investment department has been dominated by Li San Shi for years and has become a mess, it's time to rectify it." Yang Tian Zeng said.

  Zhong Xiaofei's mind was a bit confused, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Chairman, I, Zhong Xiaofei, have only been in the company for two years, my ability is not enough, just the day before yesterday I became the chief analyst of the investment department, now I'm going to be deputy manager, I'm afraid I won't be able to handle it..."

  Zhong Xiaofei tactfully declined, because he vaguely felt that Yang Tianzeng's conditions were unreasonable, making himself the deputy manager of the investment department, and was afraid there might be some ulterior motive.

  Yang Tianzeng looked at him, "It seems you don't believe me, okay, I'll tell you everything... Although Xiaoyi has always treated me as a foster father, I'm disappointed, but fortunately, she hasn't shown interest in other men either. I've been waiting for her to change... Until two days ago, I suddenly realized that she seemed to have fallen for someone, and that person is of course you..."

  Zhong Xiaofei's heart thumped wildly. Yang Tianzeng's words were filled with deep jealousy.

  Yang Tianzeng continued, "I was shocked and jealous, but there's nothing I can do about it. I understand Xiaoyi, I know her temper, if she makes up her mind to do something, no one can stop her! And you, seem to have passed her test..."

  "Exam?" Zhong Xiaofei was both surprised and delighted.

  "Yes." Yang Tianzeng nodded, "She wants to test whether you are really infatuated with her."

  Zhong Xiaofei is really infatuated with her. In these two days, he has been so lovesick that his soul is not at peace.

  Yang Tianzeng let out a sigh, leaning on his cane, and slowly sat down on the sofa. "Originally, I was definitely going to punish you, because I couldn't tolerate your disrespect towards Xiao Yi! But just this morning, Xiao Yi suddenly made a request to me, she hadn't asked me for anything in a long time, so no matter what she said, I would agree to it. What surprised me was... her request was actually to promote you as the deputy manager of the investment department!"

  Upon hearing this, Zhong Xiaofei was shocked again. It turned out that the deputy manager position was something Wu Yujie had fought for herself!

  He was both moved and excited at the same time.

  "I've grown old, with no sons or daughters, only Xiao Yi is my family member, she's the one I trust the most, and also the only one I trust," Yang Tianzeng's words were a bit sorrowful, but very firm. "Since she likes you so much, then I can only trust you... So..." At this point, Yang Tianzeng's tone suddenly became stronger, "I've decided to hand over the future of the investment department to you."

  "Hand it over to me? My experience and experience are still shallow, I'm afraid you will be disappointed......" Zhong Xiaofei's brain was thinking rapidly, he knew that he would soon face a major decision.

  "I believe in you!" Yang Tianzeng's eyes gleamed, "I believe that neither I nor Xiaoyi will misjudge people. You must do a good job as the deputy manager of the investment department."

  Zhong Xiaofei fell silent. Since Yang Tianzeng and especially Wu Yijie trusted him so much, what reason did he have to refuse?

  Moreover, promotion is a dream he has always had in his heart, it's just that this dream came too suddenly and too fiercely, making him unable to bear it for the time being.

  "Chairman," thought for a moment, Zhong Xiaofei couldn't help but ask, "I became the deputy manager just because of Secretary Wu's recommendation?"

  "Of course not..." Yang Tianzeng smiled faintly, his smile was deep and calculating, unfathomable. Then his gaze changed, the cold light in his eyes made people shiver. At this moment, the old man had transformed, no longer sorrowful and helpless, but full of infinite fighting spirit!

  With both hands tightly grasping his cane, Yang Tianzeng's voice was icy cold. "Originally, I would have retired in a few more years, but some people won't give me this opportunity. Now they're itching to take me down at the board meeting!"

  "Who is it?" Zhong Xiaofei asked feigning ignorance, but in fact he had already guessed.

  "Li San Shi!" Yang Tian Zeng said with a pause between each word. It seems that he really hated Li San Shi.

  "Oh," Zhong Xiaofei feigned surprise for a moment before asking, "But Chairman, does he... have this ability?"

  Li San Shi is just the manager of the investment department, although he is a real power figure in the company, but compared to Chairman Yang Tian Zeng, he is still a small sorcerer seeing a great sorcerer, how can he have the strength to challenge Yang Tian Zeng's position?

  "Yes, Li Sanshi alone is not enough, but he's not alone!" Yang Tianzeng said bitterly. "In the board of directors, there are many people who collude with him, they have formed an alliance, and their hearts are set on overthrowing me!"

  "Oh, I see. So, Chairman, what do you want to do?"

  "Of course, I'll face it head-on! I, Yang Tianzeng, have lived for so many years and have never retreated before! This time, either they die or I perish!" Yang Tianzeng's cane struck the ground heavily, exuding an aura of grandeur.

  Zhong Xiaofei did not speak. Yang Tianzeng wanted him to be the deputy manager of the investment department, apparently wanting him to restrain Li Sanshi. In this battle for the company's chairman, he seemed to have a role too.

  "But it's not easy to defeat them, because they have been plotting for a long time. Li San Shi is not only capable but also has the skills, and now half of the company's shareholders are secretly allied with him, and some people are watching... In fact, he shouldn't be in such a hurry, because I had already considered him as my successor and would eventually hand over the company to him. But he was too impatient and had ill intentions towards Xiao Yi, trying to take advantage of her several times! This is something I cannot tolerate!" Yang Tian Zeng's cane struck the ground heavily once again.