After the troublemakers were taken to the police station, the employees entering and leaving the building felt much more relaxed. They no longer had to worry about being harassed or attacked by thugs and ruffians.
However, everyone knew this was only a temporary respite. The problem hadn’t been solved at its root. In a few days, those troublemakers would be released, and they would return to cause more disruptions outside the company.
Rumors were swirling within the company, and not only were shareholders putting pressure on Shang Lu, but the employees were also expressing their complaints and worries.
The rapid decline in Shang’s Group’s market value was a cause for concern. When a company couldn’t sustain itself, the first step was often layoffs. With unrest among the employees, many of them were secretly updating their resumes and preparing to jump ship.
In the CEO’s office, Zhou, the executive assistant, reported everything to Shang Lu and asked, “Mr. Shang, did you review the resumes I gave you this afternoon?”
“Those candidates were all selected by me. Their education and work experience meet your requirements. If you have a preferred candidate, I can arrange for them to transition and work with Secretary Lin.”
Zhou and Lin Xuan had worked together at Shang Shi Group for two years, and he knew that Lin Xuan had some interest in Shang Lu. Considering her strong abilities and minimal interference with Shang Lu, he decided to keep her in the company.
The idea of changing his secretary was initiated by Shang Lu himself, and Zhou had carefully selected a few candidates for him to choose from. Shang Lu didn’t have any specific requirements, except that the secretary should be male.
“I’ve reviewed them,” Shang Lu said as he took out a resume. “Choose him.”
Zhou took the resume and said, “Alright, Mr. Shang, I’ll contact him.”
As Shang Lu was on the phone, Zhou, with a knowing look, exited the room.
“Shang Lu, haven’t you resolved the issue on your end?” Qi Jiashu’s nonchalant voice came through the phone.
Shang Lu remained silent and asked, “What’s the matter?”
“Can’t I call you when there’s nothing going on? You’re a married man now. I called you several times, and you didn’t respond. Come out for a drink tonight,” Qi Jiashu joked.
“We’re at the usual place, and I’ve set up a game with some knowledgeable people.”
Shang Lu remained silent for a moment.
Qi Jiashu continued playfully, “Should I make a call to get permission from Miss Su?”
“No need,” Shang Lu replied calmly. “I’ll join you after I finish handling some matters.”
When Shang Lu’s legs were first affected, he locked himself in his room for a while, almost becoming reclusive. Later, as he resumed work, he had to meet business partners in various settings. As a man, he often had to attend high-end social clubs. He preferred a more modest lifestyle and didn’t particularly enjoy such places, but he couldn’t avoid socializing and making concessions to his business partners.
Qi Jiashu was his only friend, and occasionally, he would be invited out for a drink.
High-end clubs were filled with all sorts of people, and some women without tact would throw themselves at him. When they saw him in a wheelchair, their eyes couldn’t hide their disdain. These insensitive individuals often faced unfavorable consequences, and after encountering such situations repeatedly, Shang Lu grew tired of them. Qi Jiashu became more cautious and only invited people with some intellect to join their gatherings.
When Shang Lu arrived, Qi Jiashu was already socializing with others, and dimly lit private rooms were occupied by a few scantily dressed girls dancing.
“You finally made it,” Qi Jiashu greeted him as he approached.
Inside the private room, there were a few young gentlemen. When they suddenly saw Shang Lu’s arrival, their expressions showed surprise, and they put on fake smiles to greet him.
Everyone made way for him, but Shang Lu chose to sit in a corner. A young lady approached him and offered to light his cigarette, her voice dripping with seduction as she addressed him as “President Shang.”
Shang Lu furrowed his brows, his gaze icy.
Qi Jiashu, understanding Shang Lu’s temperament well, pushed the girl away and said, “Step aside.”
The girl trembled in fear and quickly left.
Qi Jiashu sat beside Shang Lu and asked, “You didn’t respond to my calls a few days ago, and now you have time? Did you two have a fight?”
Shang Lu remained silent, sipping his drink.
Qi Jiashu took a drag of his cigarette and continued, “I heard that you bought an apartment near A University, and it’s registered in Su Banxia’s name. Is she planning to live separately from you?”
Shang Lu finally spoke, “No.”
Qi Jiashu looked at him intently and said, “You’re the kind of person who keeps everything to yourself. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s fine. Here, have a drink.”
The two of them had a few more drinks, and Qi Jiashu brought up the recent events. “It’s been almost half a month, and you haven’t resolved this issue yet. It’s not like your usual style.”
“Spending money to settle it or simply having someone take care of it—this old man can’t wait to see you fall. The situation has escalated so much, and it’s not in your favor.”
Shang Lu calmly replied, “Those people won’t dare to cause trouble.”
Qi Jiashu’s gaze turned cold as he asked, “Are you suggesting there’s someone behind them? Have you traced it back to the source?”
“Getting close,” Shang Lu replied.
…
When Su Banxia called Xiong Da and Xiong Er to help her move her belongings, Lu Yurou returned from shopping outside. She saw Su Banxia packing up her things, and her heart couldn’t help but fill with joy.
She hadn’t even started driving Su Banxia away, but Su Banxia was already moving out of this house. This brought great satisfaction to her.
She had to maintain a facade and pretend to be concerned about her daughter-in-law. “Banxia, what are you doing?”
Lu Yurou feigned worry and continued, “Did you have a fight with Shang Lu? That man has a peculiar temper. Just endure it; why move out?”
Su Banxia glanced at her with an indifferent expression, then pointed at Xiong Da and Xiong Er, saying, “Be careful with that box; it contains glass products. Don’t drop it.”
Lu Yurou felt ignored and muttered some words under her breath as she walked away with her shopping bag. She instructed the maid to prepare a cup of coffee for her and sat on the couch, in a good mood, watching Su Banxia move her belongings.
When Su Banxia had arrived, she didn’t have much stuff, but now, as she was leaving, there were several boxes, all filled with clothes, shoes, and bags bought with Shang Lu’s credit card.
Su Banxia moved out of the Shang family’s residence, transporting all her belongings to the new apartment. She examined the new apartment that Shang Lu had purchased for her.
The apartment was a duplex, spanning over three hundred square meters. The bedroom was upstairs, while downstairs consisted of a living room, kitchen, and a dance studio. The overall decoration had a fresh and natural style, creating a sense of a tranquil and refreshing lifestyle.
Su Banxia couldn’t be bothered to organize her belongings, so she called two professional organizers to take care of it.
Lin Qingya called her and, upon learning that Su Banxia had moved to a new apartment, arranged for a car to pick her up. Upon entering the apartment, Lin Qingya hung her bag and looked around at the spacious place, commenting, “Your husband is quite generous. This apartment is in a prime location and worth tens of millions.”
Su Banxia snorted.
For Shang Lu, this amount of money was insignificant. She hadn’t even spent his money properly yet. Perhaps one day, she would attend an auction and spend more extravagantly to vent her frustration.
Seeing Su Banxia’s gloomy expression, Lin Qingya asked, “Why do you look so unhappy? Did he upset you?”
Su Banxia replied, “We had a fight.”
It was less of an argument and more of Shang Lu unilaterally pushing her away from his side.
Lin Qingya couldn’t help but comment, “He buys you an apartment after an argument?”
Su Banxia sighed and replied, “It’s not like that. Buying the apartment is his way of getting rid of me.”
“What?” Lin Qingya looked at her suspiciously. “What’s wrong with Shang Lu? He has a beautiful and gentle wife like you, and he doesn’t want you. Instead, he exiles you.”
Su Banxia tugged at the corner of her mouth and said, “Don’t mention it.”
Lin Qingya hugged her shoulder and suggested, “Tonight, there’s a gathering. Do you want to come with me?”
The original Su Banxia used to enjoy socializing with a group of young people, occasionally going to places for music and drinks. However, since she was brought back after her attempted escape from the wedding, she had disappeared from social events. Everyone assumed she was suffering under Shang Lu’s control.
In the evening, Su Banxia changed into a red dress and had a glamorous makeup look.
This group of people were all casual friends who often drank and partied together. The circle was not very large, and everyone knew each other. Su Banxia sat in a corner of the couch, looking calmly at the men and women on the dance floor.
Everyone knew that Su Banxia had married Shang Lu, and there was sympathy for her as she had married a man with a disability. Some people who disliked her couldn’t help but show a mocking expression, including Xu Leyi, the close friend of Mu Ruxue.
Mu Ruxue had not refrained from telling Xu Leyi about how Su Banxia had targeted her in the game, so Xu Leyi was now taking the opportunity to mock Su Banxia.
Xu Leyi: “Su Banxia, I heard that Shang Lu has a strange temper. Have you suffered a lot from marrying him?”
Others joined in the conversation.
“Su Banxia is really pitiful. She used to like Shang Jingyao, and now she has become his sister-in-law. There’s no chance for her in this lifetime.”
“With Shang Lu’s ruthless methods, Su Banxia will have to follow him for a lifetime. Just thinking about it is despairing.”
Xu Leyi held her wine glass with a smile on her face, looking at Su Banxia in the corner.
In the dimly lit club, Su Banxia’s porcelain-like skin appeared exceptionally fair, and her indifferent demeanor gave people a sense of detachment.
Lin Qingya was angry and retorted, “You’re talking nonsense. Su Banxia and Shang Lu are doing well together.”
Xu Leyi chuckled, “Marrying Shang Lu means being a widow in waiting. Is that considered doing well?”
“Heh.” Lin Qingya sneered, “Aren’t you afraid that Shang Lu will hear this and shut your mouth?”
Xu Leyi was startled and looked around, confirming that everyone nearby was occupied with their own activities. She then said, “Did I say something wrong?”
“You can spread rumors all you want, but Shang Lu’s leg problem is temporary, and he’ll recover,” Lin Qingya nudged Su Banxia with her elbow and said, “Right, Banxia?”
Su Banxia, who didn’t have a strong tolerance for alcohol, was a bit tipsy. She nodded, “Yes, he will get better.”
She didn’t want to make Shang Lu a topic of discussion, as if having a disability made him inferior, and she didn’t appreciate people gossiping about him behind his back.
With a cold gaze and a sharp tone, Su Banxia said, “How do you know about me being a widow in waiting? Were you hiding under my bed, eavesdropping every day?”
Xu Leyi’s face turned red and white in turn.
At that moment, Lin Qingya jokingly said, “I think I just saw Shang Lu.”
The people in the private room were frightened. Shang Lu’s reputation was like that of the King of Hell, and just hearing his name made people fearful.
Xu Leyi was trembling, and she knew that Shang Lu could easily crush her like an ant. She only dared to talk behind his back and would never truly offend him.
“Wow, he looks so handsome!”
“Wow, he looks so handsome even in a wheelchair, it’s a waste of natural beauty.”
“If I didn’t see him in a wheelchair, I’d consider asking for his WeChat. He’s really handsome.”
Not far away, a man dressed in a dark shirt with a buttoned-up collar exuded an air of seriousness and restraint. His distant and aloof black eyes were as attractive as obsidian.
In the crowd, his exceptional appearance immediately caught everyone’s attention.
Next to him was a man in a light blue shirt with a slightly open collar, exuding a more charming vibe.
The duo was none other than Shang Lu and Qi Jiashu.
“Shang Lu is really here…”
“My goodness, Shang Lu is so much more handsome than Shang Jingyao. It’s such a shame. Beauty and strength are often wasted on people like him.” “Oh no, he’s coming over. I’m glad I didn’t say anything bad about him just now.”
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