"Why?"
"We don't accept it!"
The crowd stirred again, the anger ignited, gradually surging forward once more.
Manager Tian's face changed seeing this, revealing a hint of fear in his eyes. He subconsciously took a step back, steadied himself, and said:
"Rest assured, you won't be short on money."
"But you know the current situation at Longgang, expenses exceed inco. Even I haven't received my salary for several months."
"Now soone is willing to take over, it's good for you and . It's just that the amount involved is too large, it'll take so ti to sort out."
"Nonsense!" soone in the crowd shouted:
"The company is restructuring, you're still the manager at Longgang, I heard your salary has more than doubled, while we're the ones losing our jobs."
"And the Longgang Steel Plant has so much, just the land is worth a lot of money, selling it for over two billion, who's to believe there's no foul play?"
"That's right!"
"Exactly!"
"Nonsense." Manager Tian's face changed drastically, as if being exposed, he angrily rebuked:
"Who told you these things? You believe these baseless rumors? I'm telling you, anyone who dares force their way into the factory gates today can just wait for jail!"
"Uncle Wu!"
"Especially you, rember this well!"
He turned and disappeared into the luxurious office building.
"What do we do now?"
"Should we keep causing trouble?"
"When will they give the money?"
"..."
The crowd whispered, still angry, but clearly less impulsive after Manager Tian's threat.
"Uncle Wu."
Soone pushed into the crowd holding a microphone:
"Is it true that Longgang was sold cheap? Your severance pay really got cut, if that's the case you can apply for legal aid."
"Sold cheap?" Uncle Wu sneered:
"It's good they didn't take a loss, don't know how Mr. Zhang did the accounts, such a big company as Longgang still had so much debt."
"Debt offset the existing assets, sold for just over two billion."
"Uncle Wu, keep it down a bit," soone interjected:
"We're just hearing things, we don't know if it's true, if word gets out, Mr. Zhang won't let you off."
And continued:
"The severance pay was indeed reduced, as for applying for legal aid..."
"This was facilitated by the district, Mr. Zhao also showed up. If it gets out of hand, they might refuse to pay altogether, and we'd be helpless."
"That's right."
A sigh ca from the crowd:
"Ordinary folks, what do we have to compare with them?"
"Isn't this bullying?" The reporter with the microphone said angrily:
"We can't just let this go."
"Old Shi." Dapeng squeezed in:
"When did you co back?"
"Dapeng!" Shi Xin turned, his eyes lit up:
"Monk, you're here too."
"Been here all along." Dapeng shrugged:
"Co on, rare chance we're all together, let's go for a drink."
"Alright."
Shi Xin nodded:
"Let's have a drink."
*
*
*
Shi Xin, Dapeng, and Fang Zheng are friends and classmates from the sa high school, although they weren't in the sa class.
Unlike Dapeng who didn't complete his studies, Fang Zheng transferred to an art school, Shi Xin excelled in high school and got into a prestigious university.
Majored in Journalism.
He's now a staff reporter for a certain newspaper.
This ti he returned to cover the restructuring of Fuhong Steel Factory, and happened to et the two at Longgang.
"A few more classmates will co later, you'll know most of them, we'll have a lively ti."
Shi Xin rubbed his hands:
"I haven't been back in years, I couldn't refuse the classmates' invitation for a gathering. When I have more ti, the three of us can et up separately."
"You sure have so pull." Dapeng raised his thumb:
"Fresh out of school you got your Beijing Hukou, still single, and your family's well off, quite a few of those coming should be female classmates, right?"
"Heh heh..." Shi Xin scratched his head:
"There are so female classmates."
"I thought so." Dapeng laughed broadly.
Fang Zheng, standing beside, raised an eyebrow:
"Got a target?"
No target, given Shi Xin's nature, he surely wouldn't invite so many people for a gathering.
"Yes."
Shi Xin nodded:
"Dapeng, do you rember Zhao Xiuxiu from the front street?"
"Zhao Xiuxiu." Dapeng's expression changed:
"You like her?"
"What's wrong." Shi Xin was a bit anxious seeing Dapeng's reaction:
"I haven't heard that she's married."
"It's not about marriage." Dapeng waved his hand and sighed:
"Zhao Xiuxiu's dad got into gambling, owes over a million outside, recently debt collectors ca and broke his hand."
"Don't know where her mom went either."
"In short..."
"Her family's definitely a ss now. Although Zhao Xiuxiu looks nice, I advise you not to get involved."
"..." Shi Xin's face sank, he sighed after a long pause:
"Let's see how it goes."
"I... I liked her when I was in school, didn't dare say it then, now I have the courage and... things turned out this way."
"Ah!"
He shook his head, opened a bottle of beer, and chugged it down.
Soon, the invited classmates started arriving one after another.
After years apart, the forrly naive youngsters had all matured, and their deanor lacked the youthful enthusiasm.
As Dapeng said, most of them were girls.
Shi Xin was handso, had a wealthy family, and a Beijing Hukou, indeed a top choice for a partner.
"I heard it's hard to get a Beijing Hukou." The forr athlete girl, now a career woman, Xu Yuting asked curiously:
"How did you get it?"
"Got lucky." Shi Xin smiled:
"The company happened to have two spots, the person before switched to self-dia, so I got the spot by chance."
"Your luck's really good."
"Yeah!"
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