Chapter 352: He's the One Who Propped the Building Until It Fell

Farewells are always sad, and no amount of distraction can change that. Zhu Jing didn’t promise to keep guiding their careers, either. She couldn’t look after everyone. In the future, if any of them were a good fit for Yanghe Commerce and wanted to come over, she would take them.

But if they weren’t willing, or if they were willing but didn’t meet Yanghe Commerce’s hiring standards, she couldn’t let her personal feelings get in the way.

Aside from those from out of town who couldn’t make it, all the Qingzhou store managers and staff came to the dinner. They filled three tables, and luckily, the restaurant’s three private rooms could be opened up into one large space.

Zhu Jing even made an exception and had a little to drink. She couldn’t help it; the mood was just right. The store managers and sales associates, who usually seemed so delicate, instantly became as boisterous as any man, drinking more boldly than most.

One of the store managers went to the restroom. When she returned, she spoke before she even sat down. “What a coincidence! I just ran into President Shan. I hear the person across from him is the new guy, Yang Wei, Manager Yang.”

“Yang Wei? Well, he won’t be able to perform!” A few of the staff members were married and weren’t afraid to say anything. Her one-liner sent the whole room into roaring laughter.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. Dan Biao and Yang Wei pushed it open and walked in. The laughter died instantly.

This restaurant was a favorite team-building spot for Futong Commerce, so they were all familiar with the place. Dan Biao had originally tried to ask Yang Hui out for a meal to chat, but he’d been rejected. Later, Yang Wei had asked to meet, saying he wanted to ask his new boss for advice before starting the job. Not wanting to discourage his enthusiasm, Dan Biao had agreed.

The two of them hadn’t gotten a private room, sitting in the main dining hall instead. When Dan Biao ran into one of Zhu Jing’s managers returning from the restroom, he learned they were holding a farewell party. He decided to bring Yang Wei over to offer a toast for two reasons. First, he knew Zhu Jing was going to Yanghe Commerce—a company he himself admired—so out of respect for Yang Hui, he treated her very graciously. Second, it was a chance for Yang Wei to meet the members of his new team.

Zhu Jing stood up. Seeing this, everyone else immediately rose to their feet in unison. Dan Biao sighed internally; Zhu Jing’s command over her team was truly the best in all of Futong Commerce. You could tell from little details like this.

Yang Wei, however, assumed everyone was standing to show him respect. Beaming with pride, he turned happily to Dan Biao and said, “Sir, my team isn’t half bad, are they? They look like a troop that can fight the tough battles.”

Dan Biao smiled, nodded, and looked at Zhu Jing. “Of course they are. Just look at whose team it was.”

“Sir, you flatter me, you flatter me!”

Dan Biao froze for a second and shot him a look, but said nothing. ‘How could this idiot think I was complimenting him?’

“Zhu Jing, everyone, Manager Yang and I came over to offer a toast. First, to thank Zhu Jing for her contributions to the company and the operations team. And second, to introduce Manager Yang of the Airex team to all of you. I hope you will all continue to support Manager Yang and my work in the future.”

He walked over, raised his glass to Zhu Jing, and then said, “Let’s all raise our glasses. To Zhu Jing’s future success!”

Listening from behind, Yang Wei felt something was off. He knew Zhu Jing’s new job paid well, but shouldn’t he be the one receiving wishes for future success tonight? She was the one leaving. ‘Meeting my team for the first time, I should be the center of attention,’ Yang Wei thought, and cleared his throat.

“Everyone, thank you, President Shan, for this opportunity to meet you all ahead of schedule. I am Yang Wei—”

At the other two tables, someone immediately spat out their drink. Dan Biao had to turn his head away, struggling to hold back his own laughter.

Yang Wei’s face changed. Realizing his introduction had caused a misunderstanding, he quickly tried to salvage the situation. “That’s Yang, from the word for ‘poplar tree,’ and Wei, from the word ‘greatness.’ Starting July 1st, I will be taking full responsibility for the operational management of the Airex team. I’d like to take this opportunity to make a promise to you all—I will completely eradicate some of the bad habits in this team and lead Airex to scale one peak after another. You can look forward to it. We will witness greatness together!”

Dan Biao frowned as he listened. He glanced at the women and saw disdain on every one of their faces. ‘What is this Yang Wei doing? What does he mean, “bad habits in this team”? What the hell does he know, spouting such nonsense here.’

‘This moron… “scale one peak after another”… I’ll be happy if you just survive. Just be a good scapegoat and take the heat when Li Yang gets angry. That’s all I ask. Looking at this brainless idiot, I’d have better luck figuring out how to jump ship to Yanghe Commerce than expecting him to lead the Airex team well.’

Yang Wei continued, “You don’t know me, but I’ve been in the retail industry for thirteen years. I have extensive experience in operations management. I’ve personally managed three different brands, and in each case, I was the one who turned the tide when the brand was in trouble, saving the business from the brink of collapse…”

He was still rambling on. The store managers and staff had already zoned out, and a few were even yawning openly.

Zhu Jing turned to Dan Biao. “President Shan, we won’t keep you any longer. I’d like to chat a bit more with my team.”

Interrupting Yang Wei’s “speech” clearly displeased him. Dan Biao had long since had enough. He clapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go, Xiaoyang. We should get going and not interrupt their party.”

‘Xiaoyang?’ Yang Wei felt he’d lost a bit of face—just a moment ago he was “Manager Yang.” But President Shan was already walking out, so he had no choice but to follow. Giving a lecture was definitely not as important as keeping up with his boss.

“That’s it. I think I’d better start preparing my resignation.”