Rejected by the Campus Belle, I Find My True Love

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets. Hindsight is twenty-twenty, after all.

Besides, Xue Yang would never hire such a person. Who knew what other valuable things might go missing next time? It was originally agreed that everything in the shop would belong to Xue Yang, yet Brother Zhang had taken it all to sell. In a sense, that was theft. However, it was a transitional period, and the contract was still being processed. Even if Xue Yang had wanted to call the police, it would have been useless. The other party might have even backed out of the deal on the spot and refused to hand over the shop. If they then used some other excuse to deduct handling fees, it would have been an even greater loss.

Most importantly, the way Brother Zhang had looked at Lin Xi made Xue Yang very uncomfortable, making it even less likely that he would hire him.

However, after a moment’s thought, Brother Zhang decided to grit his teeth and fight for a chance. He rushed forward to block Xue Yang’s path, pleading, "President Xue, I swear I didn’t mean to sell off the shop’s tools. You know my repair shop was always losing money. I was losing a terrible amount of money, and my family urgently needed cash, so I sold everything before I left. I swear, if I hadn’t been so desperate, I never would have done something like that. So, President Xue, could you please give me a chance?"

"Brother Zhang, out in the world, you make your own reputation, and you have to bear the consequences of your own actions," Xue Yang said calmly. "I really don’t need to hire anyone here. There are plenty of jobs out there. You should take some time to look around." With that, Xue Yang gave him no further opportunity and walked into the dealership.

The showroom was still bustling with activity. The grand opening event was scheduled to last a full week, so this lively scene was expected to continue for the next few days. It might slowly die down afterward, but the impact wouldn’t be too significant. There would be a transitional period, which was perfectly normal.

Seeing their boss arrive, the employees worked with renewed vigor. Xue Yang wasn’t stingy.

"Everyone’s been working hard," he announced. "Once we get through the next couple of busy days, I’ll treat everyone to a meal at the Emperor Hotel."

"The Emperor Hotel! Awesome! Long live the boss!"

The Emperor Hotel was one of the top five-star hotels in Hui City, so it was no wonder everyone was so excited.

"Xiao Ya, please book a table for us at the hotel. Let’s set it for... next Monday evening."

The weekend was the peak sales period, so it was definitely not a good time for a celebratory dinner. Monday seemed about right.

"Okay, Boss."

"Also, pick out the latest model of Biyadi and have someone drive it to my house."

"Okay, Boss."

Xue Yang now had complete confidence in Wu Xiaoya’s ability to get things done.

Afterward, he went to the sales department to review the total sales for the past two days. Including today’s numbers, they had already sold over a hundred cars. This figure far exceeded Xue Yang’s expectations.

Next, he checked on the status of payments received. The sales department’s tally included all cars sold, even those for which only a deposit had been paid. The specific details on funds collected were with the finance department. Overall, the situation was quite satisfactory. Half of the sales were paid in full. Of the remaining half, two-thirds were financed through auto loans. The rest had only paid a deposit and still needed to complete the remaining paperwork.

"Boss, this is the summary of all funds collected over the past two days."

"Alright, I’ve got it."

After making his rounds, Xue Yang brought Lin Xi back to his private office.

When Xue Yuanqing saw the new car that Xue Yang had someone deliver, he was dumbfounded. It was a Tang, the exact model he wanted. It was even in his preferred color: white.

Xue Yuanqing immediately called his precious son.

"Son, someone just dropped off a new car. What’s going on?"

"Dad, you can drive this one for now. It’s the best-configured new energy vehicle in the country at the moment."

"I’m just an old man, any car would do. It doesn’t have to be this nice."

Although he said that, he was overjoyed that Xue Yang had gotten him the best. His son was all grown up. He no longer had to ask the family for money; instead, he was earning his own and even providing for them.

"Hey, Lao Zhang, are you free tomorrow? Want to grab a meal? I know a new farmstead that serves amazing goose. You don’t have a car? No problem, I do! Great, great, I’ll pick you up tomorrow."

"Hey, Lao Li, are you free tomorrow? Let’s get a meal together..."

"..."

Xue Yuanqing made three calls in a row, only stopping when he had filled all the seats in the car.

"Your son buys you one new car and suddenly you have to show it off to everyone?" Zhong Hailan teased.

"Who’s showing off? I’m just bored sitting at home every day and want to get together with my buddies."

Zhong Hailan rolled her eyes, speechless. "Yes, yes, your son is amazing. He bought you the country’s latest and greatest new energy vehicle."

"Well, he is," Xue Yuanqing responded with a proud huff. With that, he hummed a tune as he went back to his room to grab his clothes for a shower.

Zhong Hailan sat on the sofa, took out her phone, and started making her own calls.

"Hai Yan, are you free in a couple of days? Want to come over and visit? Oh, you’re asking about Xiao Yang’s wife? She’s resting upstairs. Okay, great, let’s plan for the day after tomorrow."

"Chun Juan, let me tell you, we just bought another new car! It’s called a Biyadi or something; I don’t really get it all. You want to come over and see it? Of course, I’m always home. Let me tell you, these rechargeable cars are all the rage now..."

Compared to Xue Yuanqing’s straightforward bragging, Zhong Hailan put all her knowledge of new energy vehicles to use. She figured that if she gave a good introduction, it would be an indirect way to drum up business for her son’s dealership.

「...」

Back in the office, Xue Yang wasn’t idle either. He opened his laptop and immediately got to work.

Lin Xi didn’t disturb him. She sat down on the sofa, took out her phone, and began to write.

Production on the comic adaptation they had discussed with the website had already begun. The editor would intermittently send Lin Xi drafts of the comic art for her review.

The comic art was quite good, but... it always felt like something was missing.

The editor had sent her the drafts with the intention of getting the original author’s opinion. Lin Xi shared her thoughts with her.

Editor: "Sweetie, do you have any other suggestions? I can pass them on to the artist."

"I can’t quite articulate it," Lin Xi typed back. "How about I try to draw a few sketches for you? You’ll probably understand what I mean then."

Editor: "Of course, Sweetie!"

After her chat with the editor, Lin Xi decided to try drawing some comic drafts herself. She rounded up a few 2B pencils from Xue Yang’s desk, grabbed some A4 paper from the printer, and started drawing on the sofa.

She began with the scene where the male and female leads first meet. The memory of her first encounter with Xue Yang surfaced in her mind.

It had been drizzling that day. She was huddled under a large tree by the roadside, completely drenched like a drowned rat.

...