This beautiful woman is around twenty-two or twenty-three years old!
Her jet-black long hair naturally waves and curls, cascading down, inviting endless imagination of the sensation of fingertips gently caressing those strands.
Her snow-white skin, glistening with a crystal-clear sheen, smooth cheekbones, and eyes that hold an endless azure — the color of the brightest sky, blazing with a radiant glow.
She wears a white long dress, her perfect figure flawless, giving her an elegant and serene appearance, like a lotus rising unstained from the mud, captivating with every smile and gaze.
"Zhang, the Vice President is back!" the old gatekeeper chuckled, pulling Xiao Feng back to reality.
Although Zhang Wan is the Vice President of the company, she never considers herself superior. Instead, she treats the gatekeeper like an elder, first smiling faintly at him, then turning to look at Xiao Feng, her eyes gleaming with a slight surprise.
"Excuse me... are you really Xiao Feng?" Zhang Wan asked softly.
"Yes, I am Xiao Feng!" Xiao Feng nodded, feeling somewhat puzzled inside; in his memory, he didn't seem to know Zhang Wan.
But judging from Zhang Wan's reaction, she was not unfamiliar with him.
"Hello, I'm Zhang Wan, Zhou Dong's girlfriend. I've often heard Uncle Zhou mention you. Please come in and have a seat!" Zhang Wan was warm and courteous.
However, Xiao Feng retracted his extended hand just as quickly.
Because of Zhang Wan's identity, she was Zhou Dong's girlfriend.
Zhou Dong was the son of his second uncle.
Zhang Wan, being Zhou Dong's girlfriend, was Xiao Feng's cousin-in-law, so it was best to skip the handshake gesture.
On the way to the office, Zhang Wan told Xiao Feng that she and Zhou Dong were college classmates and that after graduation, she followed Zhou Dong to Jiangcheng.
However, Xiao Feng keenly noticed that when Zhang Wan mentioned Zhou Dong, her eyes didn't show full affection. Instead, she sighed lightly several times.
Upon reaching the office, Zhang Wan said, "Xiao Feng, sit down, and I'll call Zhou Dong right now. If he knows you've returned, he'll be overjoyed!"
Uh!
Xiao Feng wanted to say that he was here to see his second uncle, not Zhou Dong.
Since childhood, he hadn't gotten along well with Zhou Dong, but Zhang Wan had already picked up the phone, so he could only acquiesce.
Though Zhang Wan wasn't unfamiliar with Xiao Feng, it was their first meeting, and as Xiao Feng remained silent, she couldn't find a topic to discuss either.
Thus, they remained silent for over ten minutes.
Suddenly, the office door was pushed open.
A man in a floral shirt and gold necklace strode in, none other than Zhou Dong.
Behind Zhou Dong followed a burly man with a round, menacing face, clad in a black vest; his thick biceps were exaggeratedly bulging, thicker than Zhang Wan's slender waist.
From Xiao Feng's perspective, he immediately recognized this man as a practitioner!
"Haha! Xiao Feng, it's really you! My dad and I have been waiting forever for you to come back!" Zhou Dong exclaimed warmly upon seeing Xiao Feng and even embraced him.
However, Zhou Dong's enthusiasm made Xiao Feng slightly uncomfortable.
"Cousin, you've changed; you have such a strong aura now!" Xiao Feng was surprised.
Previously, Zhou Dong was a bookworm.
Now, with his current attire and demeanor, he exuded a worldly aura, right like a... nouveau-riche!
"The world keeps changing, and people must change too, or they'll be left behind!" Zhou Dong glanced at the coffee table and saw there wasn't even a glass of water. He immediately turned to Zhang Wan, saying, "What's going on? Didn't even pour some tea?"
Zhou Dong's tone was full of impatience.
"I was too thrilled and forgot, I'll brew some tea now!" Zhang Wan quickly stood up and headed to the tea cabinet.
"The best tea leaves are on the third shelf!" Zhou Dong added.
"Hmm?" Zhang Wan frowned slightly but didn't follow Zhou Dong's instructions to get the tea leaves from the third shelf.
Because she knew that it wasn't as Zhou Dong claimed; those weren't the best tea leaves, and due to improper storage, they had already turned moldy!
Was she supposed to serve Xiao Feng such tea?
Indeed, Zhou Dong's attitude towards Xiao Feng was just as she anticipated!
"How about some juice instead..." Before Zhang Wan could finish, Zhou Dong gave her a fierce glare.
"Do you think everyone, like you women, enjoys juice? We men prefer tea!" Zhou Dong walked to the tea cabinet, took out the box of moldy tea leaves, and personally brewed a cup for Xiao Feng.
The burly man who entered with Zhou Dong looked at Xiao Feng, barely able to suppress a smirk of disdain.
"This tea..." Xiao Feng took a sip from the cup.
"How is it?" Zhou Dong was already impatient to see Xiao Feng get exasperated.
But unexpectedly, Xiao Feng smiled faintly, took another big sip, and said, "This tea tastes quite good!"
Zhang Wan stared at Xiao Feng in a daze. Wasn't that tea already moldy? Xiao Feng actually said it was good?
Could Zhou Dong have picked the wrong tea?
No!
Zhang Wan was sure Zhou Dong didn't get the wrong tea leaves; it was Xiao Feng who couldn't be bothered to argue.
This was the difference!
One being petty and scheming!
The other being open-hearted and broad-minded!
"Haha! Of course, this tea is good. Usually, I can't bear to bring it out for guests!"
Zhou Dong was rather displeased and thus didn't bother beating around the bush anymore.
"Xiao Feng, let's be honest. Back then, this company was your investment. Logically, after your return, you should take the General Manager's seat. However, you've been away for five years; Jiangcheng has changed a lot. Honestly, my dad and I aren't too comfortable with you taking the GM position now!"
Xiao Feng could hardly contain his amusement. With his five years of overseas experience, he had already seen through Zhou Dong's intentions the moment Zhou Dong appeared.
He merely wanted to say that Zhou Dong was overthinking it.
Or perhaps, underestimating him!
"This company still belongs to you and Second Uncle. I won't take it!" Xiao Feng said directly.
"Xiao Feng, that's not fair to say. I didn't mean it that way, I just think you're not fit to be the GM as you just returned. How about this, why not stay in the company? I'll fire Old Wang from the gate and let you work at the gate for a while?" Zhou Dong smirked, fully aware that even if Xiao Feng funded the company's startup, it would be hard to seize control now.
But to let Xiao Feng leave so easily would be too cheap for him.
Thinking back to his childhood, clearly, he was the biological son, yet his father favored Xiao Feng.
Despite working harder, Xiao Feng always stole the spotlight.
This jealousy had already taken root and sprouted in his heart, just lacking an opportunity to vent.
He wanted to take this chance to humiliate Xiao Feng thoroughly!
"Zhou Dong, you..." Zhang Wan thought Zhou Dong went too far.
"What about it?" Zhou Dong clenched his teeth, secretly thinking, "Zhang Wan, are you my woman or Xiao Feng's woman?!"
Then, Zhou Dong patted Xiao Feng's shoulder with a feigned look of surprise, saying, "Xiao Feng, I knew the moment I saw you that you've changed. Five years ago, when you left Jiangcheng, you were scrawny. But now, you've built some serious muscle, like a steel plate, hence it makes sense for you to work at the gate!"
Zhou Dong glanced at the burly man beside him, a subtle slyness in his eyes, and said, "Even though I'm the General Manager, and you're my cousin, you still need to follow the process to join the company. Ah Hu, why don't you spar with Xiao Feng as a form of interview? But make sure to hold back, don't injure Xiao Feng, got it?"
Ah Hu approached playfully, cracking his knuckles with sounds like firecrackers, looking down at Xiao Feng with sheer disdain, saying, "President Zhou, don't worry. I have a sense of proportion. But what constitutes passing this interview? How about this, I'll use only one hand, if he can withstand three moves, we'll consider it as passing?"
Zhang Wan turned pale with fright. Ah Hu had been with Zhou Dong for less than half a year yet was like a real tiger, capable of taking down ten men at once. Even if Ah Hu only used one hand, she thought Xiao Feng was no match for Ah Hu at all.
What's more, there had just been a silent communication between Zhou Dong and Ah Hu; can Ah Hu really hold back?
Just as Zhang Wan was about to persuade them otherwise, Xiao Feng let out a cold laugh, saying, "Only one hand? Left or right?!"
Ah Hu, unaffected by the violent aura emanating from Xiao Feng at the moment, nonchalantly said, "Left hand, I guess. My right hand once knocked out a Tibetan mastiff with a single punch, I'm afraid you couldn't handle it, haha!"
Xiao Feng's eyes flashed with a chilling light, and he retorted coldly, "If you don't want that left hand, I'll oblige you!"