Supremely Talented Tyrant

"She didn't give you a hard time, did she?"

Hao Jian had just come downstairs when Yuan Shanshan hurried over and asked anxiously.

"Of course not, I told you the president is very understanding. After she understood the whole story, not only did she not blame me, but she even said she wanted to reward me," Hao Jian said with animated expressions.

"Reward you with what?" Yuan Shanshan also asked curiously, assuming it must be something valuable since it was the president's reward.

Suddenly, Hao Jian's face fell as he remembered something upsetting: "She said she wanted to reward me with a tombstone."

"A tombstone?" Yuan Shanshan was flabbergasted and asked in confusion:n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

"Why would she give you a tombstone all of a sudden?"

"She probably thinks I'm living too carelessly, so she decided to give me a bit of a shock," he guessed.

Hao Jian, finding it both funny and sad, said, "A tombstone for love, eh? Once you step into that, there's no coming back."

Yuan Shanshan looked at Hao Jian, puzzled. She realized she couldn't understand at all what Hao Jian was talking about.

"Enough about me, let's talk about you. The president really appreciates your design and wants you to create another one, a men's ring related to fatherhood," Hao Jian said.

"No way, really?"

Yuan Shanshan jumped up and down on the spot three times, overwhelmed with excitement. Getting recognition from Shu Ya would give her immense confidence.

"Of course, why would I lie to you about something like this? So just do your best."

Hao Jian handed the design book to Yuan Shanshan, laughing as he did so. This way, Yuan Shanshan would be able to firmly establish herself in the company.

But at that moment, Yuan Shanshan bit her lip and mustered up a lot of courage before suddenly hugging Hao Jian.

Hao Jian was stunned by this unexpected gesture.

"Hao Jian, thank you. If it weren't for your idea, I would never have been able to design such a ring. I'm taking you out for a meal later, and you're not allowed to say no—you must come!"

Hao Jian was just about to refuse, but hearing Yuan Shanshan say this, he simply gave a wry smile and said no more.

At dinner time, Yuan Shanshan indeed took Hao Jian out to eat, and she also invited Che Xiaoxiao along.

This girl was still always idle, and when not racing cars, she was working as a taxi driver—unofficially, of course.

Che Xiaoxiao just happened to be nearby Yuan Shanshan's company when she got the call, and directly came over. After dinner, the three of them went shopping in the mall.

Hao Jian had planned to leave, but both girls insisted he stay with them. Checking that he still had a few hours before his night shift, he agreed.

He definitely couldn't go home today anyway, since Tie Shan's wife was giving birth and he had asked Hao Jian to cover for him for the day.

The three of them entered a high-end French women's clothing store, already bustling with customers selecting clothes, each dressed to the nines, carrying LV or Hermès designer bags.

Hao Jian glanced at the price tags on the clothes and involuntarily gasped:

"A T-shirt for 100,000 RMB? Are they trying to rob us?"

"Designer brands are selling fame, not quality, you don't know anything," Che Xiaoxiao retorted sharply.

"Xiaoxiao, maybe we should leave, these clothes aren't something we can afford," Yuan Shanshan suggested gently tugging at Che Xiaoxiao's sleeve, as the cost of one item was equivalent to her annual salary.

Sometimes life is just that unfair—some buy clothes that cost as much as a normal family's yearly expenses.

But some people, even if they struggle for a lifetime, still can't afford a house of just a few dozen square meters.

"So what if I can't buy? It doesn't hurt to look and enjoy the view," said Che Xiaoxiao nonchalantly. Unlike Yuan Shanshan, she was more composed and confident. Even if she couldn't afford it, she wouldn't feel inferior, because she knew it was only a matter of time before she could.

"Yo, isn't that Che Xiaoxiao? Are you here to pick out some clothes too?" Just then, a mocking voice came from behind the group.

Hao Jian and the others turned around and saw a woman in a red tight dress, flamboyantly dressed, walking over with a middle-aged man in a suit.

The woman was quite attractive, but she couldn't compare to Yuan Shanshan and Che Xiaoxiao; her looks were just above average.

And the man beside her was even more unremarkable — nearly fifty, sporting a big belly as if he were ten months pregnant, and also quite bald, just like a monk.

Seeing these two together, one wouldn't need to guess their relationship.

Upon seeing the arrivals, Che Xiaoxiao clearly wasn't too pleased, "Yes, what about it?"

From Che Xiaoxiao's attitude, Hao Jian could tell she didn't have a good relationship with the woman before them.

"Nothing much, just surprised. You always dress so simply, why the sudden interest in designer brands?"

Ma Ru chuckled with a playful smile, but she accentuated the word "simply" heavily, loaded with mockery.

She and Che Xiaoxiao were university classmates, in the same department, and Ma Ru was a senior. Originally, before Che Xiaoxiao appeared, Ma Ru had been the beauty of their department. However, once Che Xiaoxiao showed up, she took that title from Ma Ru, thus breeding jealousy and discord between them.

Of course, Che Xiaoxiao didn't like her either, as Ma Ru had badmouthed her more than once.

Moreover, Ma Ru's lifestyle was questionable. Although her family was of the working class, she was always adorned with designer bags and jewelry, making it easy to guess what she was up to.

"Ma Ru, who is this? Why don't you introduce me?"

At this moment, the middle-aged man beside her also smiled. His name was Liu Fudong, a returned overseas Chinese who had made a good deal of money in business early on, hence he had started keeping university students.

As Liu Fudong spoke, his gaze swept over Yuan Shanshan and Che Xiaoxiao. He had never seen such high-class beauties before and instantly felt his heart pound, barely able to resist approaching them.

"Godfather, she's my classmate, her name is Che Xiaoxiao, and she usually shops at Dongzhimen. It's her first time in a place like this, which I also find quite surprising," Ma Ru said with a face full of sarcasm.

Dongzhimen was known for selling cheap items costing around forty to fifty, mentioning it was undoubtedly to embarrass Che Xiaoxiao.

In school, Ma Ru lost all the attention to Che Xiaoxiao, and seeing an opportunity for revenge, she was certainly not going to let it pass.

"Ma Ru, long time no see, I didn't expect to bump into you here."

Che Xiaoxiao, however, didn't seem angry at all and went up to shake hands with Ma Ru, all smiles and seemingly trying to ingratiate herself.

This demeanor of Che Xiaoxiao puzzled both Yuan Shanshan and Hao Jian, as they expected, given Che Xiaoxiao's character, she would have confronted her directly by now.

But Ma Ru didn't speak, just sneered internally, guessing that Che Xiaoxiao must have been envious of her for latching onto a wealthy man, which is why she came up to curry favor.

"You are Ma Ru's godfather, right? Thanks for giving us a lift home last time. Your Lincoln Stretch Limousine is really beautiful."

After shaking hands with Ma Ru, Che Xiaoxiao suddenly turned to Liu Fudong and said cheerfully.

However, this remark made Liu Fudong's expression freeze, as he had never given Che Xiaoxiao a ride home, nor did he own a Lincoln Stretch Limousine.

That...