The Stepmother’s Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era
Chapter 722 - 721: An Eye for an Eye

Chapter 722: Chapter 721: An Eye for an Eye

"Xinsheng, come to my place for the Spring Festival this year, my parents want to meet you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xinsheng couldn’t help but be overjoyed and agreed immediately.

He was two-timing Yao Chuchu, as she was not only young and beautiful but also because of her family background.

Both her parents were government officials, and all her siblings were exceptionally outstanding. Marrying into such a family, he could cut at least ten years from his path to success.

After discussing the details of the visit and the gifts with Yao Chuchu, Jiang Xinsheng returned to the company reinvigorated to continue working.

Just as he had settled into his chair, the manager called him to the office over the intercom.

During his time in the company, he usually reported to the manager about work and projects; it was rare for the manager to summon him proactively.

Could it be that they noticed his impressive recent performance and were planning to promote him and raise his salary?

However, when he happily arrived at the manager’s office, he found not only the department manager but also personnel from HR and finance.

"Jiang Xinsheng, we have received a report accusing you of repeatedly falsifying expenses, embezzling funds, and harming company interests during your probation. Is there any truth to this?"

As he took a seat, the HR manager was the first to confront him with the accusation.

Jiang Xinsheng felt like he had been punched in the head, his mind buzzing, unable to regain his composure for a long time.

"I... I..."

"You don’t need to rush your answer. Think it through before you respond. If we’ve brought you here to discuss this matter, it’s certainly not without cause."

As the head of HR for a foreign enterprise, her negotiation skills and abilities were beyond doubt, and her few words had already caused Jiang Xinsheng to break out in a cold sweat.

He had indeed done such things, not just him but the majority of the sales team in the company operated the same way.

However, some things are completely different when discussed privately and when brought to the forefront.

By the HR’s attitude and tone, it was clear they had not only received a report but also had evidence in hand.

Who was stabbing him in the back? Someone else from sales in the same department, or was the company intending to make an example of him to deter others?

Whichever it was, he was well aware that he had been caught red-handed this time.

After confessing the amounts he had inflated and the kickbacks he had taken over the years, the company quickly laid out a course of action.

In addition to being fired and permanently blacklisted, he was required to return the embezzled funds within a week.

Under the watchful eyes of everyone in the company, Jiang Xinsheng left the premises like a dog that had lost its home, in utter disgrace.

...

At night, Pei Qiuxia and Qian Rong enjoyed a pot of braised goose at a newly opened Dongbei restaurant.

"Qiuxia, did you hear about Jiang Xinsheng getting fired from the company?"

"Wasn’t he working just fine? How did he get fired?"

Qian Rong, not sure if Pei Qiuxia was playing dumb or truly unaware, enthusiastically detailed to her how the company caught Jiang Xinsheng exaggerating expenses and pocketing kickbacks.

After finishing, she said mysteriously, "I heard someone reported him. It couldn’t have been you, could it?"

"I don’t have that much free time."

In fact, it was indeed her who reported Jiang Xinsheng, and Pei Wenping had helped as well. She didn’t want to drag Pei Wenping down, so she resolved to keep it a secret.

Qian Rong sighed, "Jiang Xinsheng is in a sorry state now. The company wants him to repay the deficit, and he can’t borrow the money anywhere. He asked Yao Chuchu to help him raise it, but she refused, and they even broke up over it."

Pei Qiuxia was speechless, "Is he even a man? He’s having a woman clean up the mess he made himself?"

"He had no choice, Yao Chuchu spent quite a bit of his money during the half-year they were together."

"Serves him right!"

If Jiang Xinsheng committed the first of the month’s offenses, then don’t blame her for going all the way to the fifteenth.

After finishing with Jiang Xinsheng, Qian Rong gossiped about She Zheming, "How is it going with Officer She from your family?"

"Pretty good."

As she spoke, Pei Qiuxia couldn’t help but glance out the window. At this time, she wondered if he had eaten yet.

"Find a day to let me meet him."

"I’ll ask him, but he’s been really busy lately."

"However busy he is, he should still have time to eat, unless he doesn’t care about you at all."

Pei Qiuxia ignored the discomfort the comment caused and explained, "He really is busy, handling several cases at once, with hardly any time to sleep."

"What’s the use of having such a boyfriend who doesn’t even have time to eat with you? What can you expect from him in the future? You might as well reconsider; there are plenty of fish in the sea, no need to hang on to a single tree."

"No, I think he is quite good. He’s responsible, reliable, has a good profession. If I were too demanding, I’d probably never get married in this lifetime."

"That’s true, the pot is boiling, the goose should be ready, right?"

Pei Qiuxia took another look out the window and suddenly asked her friend, "Do you want to meet him?"

At the entrance to the Public Security Bureau.

"The bottom of the lunchbox has goose, the top has dumplings, they might be a bit frozen."

She Zheming took the food from Pei Qiuxia, his face breaking into a grin, "No problem, I’ll have the canteen chef help me warm it up. Why don’t you come inside and sit for a while? I can take you home after I finish work."

"There’s no need, my friend is waiting for me."

She Zheming followed her pointing hand and glanced over, nodding in understanding, "Alright then, you should head back early. Send me a message when you get home."

"Okay."

"No wonder you insist on being with him, he’s really quite handsome, must be at least 185 cm tall?"

"186."

Pei Qiuxia hadn’t had the nerve to ask She Zheming about his height in person; it was something Shen Mingzhu had told her before they met.

Qian Rong was quite excited, "Just from appearances, he does seem better than Jiang Xinsheng. Jiang Xinsheng is fine otherwise, just a bit on the short side."

Pei Qiuxia was unimpressed.

When she was with Jiang Xinsheng, she thought he was great in every way. Now that they had split, she realized how blind she had been.

"Qiuxia."

As Jiang Xinsheng suddenly appeared and blocked her path, Pei Qiuxia was stunned for two seconds before her face grew cold.

"What are you doing here?"

"I have something to talk about with you. Let’s go somewhere else to talk."

"I don’t have time, and there’s nothing to talk about with you!"

After refusing, Pei Qiuxia stepped forward to leave, but Jiang Xinsheng caught her.

Pei Qiuxia wasn’t a pushover, she swung her bag at him.

Jiang Xinsheng winced with pain and released his grip, covering the hit area, "After so many years together, do you have to treat me like an enemy?"

"Jiang Xinsheng, please don’t bring up the past again, it’s disgusting."

Anger flared on Jiang Xinsheng’s face, but he quickly suppressed it and lowered his voice, "I’m sorry for what I did to you in the past, Qiuxia. I really have no other way out. If I don’t repay the company’s money soon, I’m going to be in jail. Please, lend me some money."

"Are you dreaming?!"

"I know you haven’t let go of me, and I have feelings for you too. Let’s make up, and we can get married whenever you want."

"Get lost!"

"I’m serious, I did make mistakes before, but I’ve come to my senses now. I know who really cares about me."

Pei Qiuxia was so angry she felt like she was going to explode, "Jiang Xinsheng, you’re nothing! Do you think the world revolves around you?"