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"I'm treating everyone to lunch today, let's go together." Wang Yiyang patted a few of his closer colleagues on the shoulder, smiling as he extended the invitation.

These colleagues were his partners on this product planning project. His sudden resignation would certainly have a significant impact on the entire project, so as an apology, it was only right and proper for him to make a gesture.

However, they all expressed understanding regarding his need to resign due to family matters, though they politely declined the meal due to their heavy workloads.

In any case, the project was nearing its end, and Wang Yiyang's sudden departure actually meant handing over the credit to the others, so they were more than happy to see him go.

This was also the reason why his supervisor had approved his resignation without a second word.

In this day and age, there was an overabundance of talent. While Wang Yiyang was certainly capable, were there really so few capable people left? Most were simply lacking a platform and an opportunity.

Wang Yiyang didn't mind. Instead, he had Wang Dongning call his girlfriend, and Xie Xiaodan call her best friend.

An Yuxi was also among those invited, as she and Xie Xiaodan were on good terms.

She hesitated for a moment, preparing to decline. But upon hearing that Xie Xiaodan had also invited another close friend, Xia Ying, she wavered and eventually agreed.

Xia Ying was quite famous in the company, not because of her looks or figure, but because her family was wealthy.

In reality, her looks were only a six out of ten; with makeup, she gained another point. In other words, even with makeup, she was only on par with Xie Xiaodan, and still inferior to An Yuxi.

However, Xia Ying's figure was decent enough—passable. Though her chest was small, her legs were long and well-proportioned. That aside, the key was that she drove a city SUV worth over half a million to work.

The bags she carried and the clothes, dresses, and shoes she wore were never from minor brands; any given outfit started at ten thousand.

While she couldn't compare to the truly elite rich kids, to the average wage earner, she was definitely a "white, rich, and beautiful" girl.

Therefore, at Xinda Network, Xia Ying had the most admirers.

After all, in today's society, there were far too many realistic people.

"Let's go, let's go, it'll be livelier together. Brother Yang is leaving, so a bigger crowd makes for a better atmosphere," Xie Xiaodan urged from the side.

An Yuxi hesitated, then nodded.

"Alright then, send me a message about where we're going later."

"I'll add you in a bit." Xie Xiaodan swiped her screen, quickly pulling all the colleagues attending the dinner into a newly created group chat.

"Brother Yang, looking at your performance before leaving, you might even be able to take a girl home from the company!" -- Xie Xiaodan.

"...Shall I add you instead?" -- Wang Yiyang.

"Sure! I'll go to your place to meet your parents tomorrow!" -- Xie Xiaodan.

"...Forget it, you." -- Wang Yiyang.

"How about considering me? I'm single, don't smoke or drink, and have no bad habits other than playing games until midnight every day!" -- Wang Dongning.

"Hehe, Little Brother Ning, are you itching for a beating?" -- Zhou Haimei.

Zhou Haimei was Wang Dongning's confirmed girlfriend, an employee at another company, and the two were very close.

Wang Yiyang often saw Wang Dongning being showered with affection and PDA by his girlfriend after work; it was sickeningly sweet.

Soon, after pulling people in, the dinner group grew to ten members. Wang Yiyang didn't overthink it; he invited everyone he could.

This meal felt like a farewell to his office career.

It even felt like a farewell to his ordinary life.

So, even though many people in the group were only coming for the pretty girls, he didn't mind.

After finalizing the headcount, he immediately scouted the surrounding area and found a reasonably priced restaurant with good value.

Although he now had money in his account, he didn't have a habit of being extravagant or wasteful. Thus, he stuck to his old habits and chose a standard, middle-of-the-road restaurant.

After booking a private room, Wang Yiyang finally sat down to begin his handover work.

His supervisor was unhappy about his sudden resignation, so he handed him a non-compete agreement, prohibiting him from working in the same industry for several years.

However, in return, the supervisor used the full extent of his authority to grant him more than double the standard compensation as a settlement. It wasn't bad at all.

Sitting at his desk, Wang Yiyang operated his computer while glancing at his phone from time to time.

Text messages arrived on his phone periodically.

By the end of the morning, he had completely finished his handover, and at the same time, the interrogation on Jian's side had officially begun.

Additionally, the protection team assigned to his grandfather had all arrived at their posts.

Intelligence reports, gathered from the vast information network of Mister Pharmaceutical Group, were continuously funneled to Wang Yiyang's phone.

He had only spent a little over an hour on the handover; the rest of the time was spent reviewing the data.

There wasn't much information on Zhong Can—one could say there was very little.

But regarding the Yuekong Martial Arts Hall, there was quite a lot.

His grandfather, Wang Xinlong, was not low-profile on the surface; one could even say he was quite active.

He and his disciples frequently participated in various competitions, and the reputation of the Yuekong Martial Arts Hall held a significant status in the martial arts circle.

The Moon Sky Fist that Wang Xinlong specialized in could be considered a representative style in the fighting and combat circles of Yingxing City.

By the time Wang Yiyang finished reading the files, it was already 11:50.

He tidied up his things, stood up to grab a drink of water at the dispenser, then picked up his bag, walked out of the office hall, and waited in the corridor outside.

The corridor was quite wide, easily five or six meters across, with tables and chairs set up along one side for resting.

Wang Yiyang sat on a chair, leaning back against the backrest, lost in thought.

He hadn't been sitting for more than a few minutes when the noon clock-out bell rang; the office hall had fixed bells for starting and ending shifts.

This was due to a new labor protection law passed a few years ago, which had prompted companies to install such devices.

At the very least, on the surface, it guaranteed the basic interests of the employees.

Soon, Xie Xiaodan, An Yuxi, Wang Dongning, along with Xia Ying and a few others, slowly walked out together.

Wang Yiyang glanced over, stood up, and flashed a smile.

"Let's go, the private room is booked."

"We're going to bleed the big spender dry! I know you just got a huge payout," Wang Dongning joked.

Wang Yiyang sent the address and room information to their small group chat, and the group headed downstairs, reaching a total of twelve people.

Many of the men had tagged along just for the sake of the girls. Two of them had cheekily asked to join, and Wang Yiyang had agreed without much thought.

The group split into several batches and took taxis to the restaurant.

The place for the gathering was called Zhulan Restaurant.

It had decent reviews on food apps, specializing in sour-and-spicy dishes and soups.

The group entered the restaurant and, guided by a waiter, took their seats in the Lanxiang Chamber private room.

"Come on, come on, Brother Yang is treating us today! Don't be shy, the big spender is hosting!" Wang Dongning stood up to liven the mood, urging everyone to order.

Wang Yiyang waved his hands with a smile.

"Just don't try to bankrupt me on purpose, order whatever you like."

"Brother Yang, where are you planning to go after resigning? I saw you holding a non-compete agreement when you came out of the supervisor's office. Are you planning to leave the internet industry?" a girl who had just joined the company asked.

"I don't plan on joining another company for now, just going to take a break," Wang Yiyang replied with a smile.

As the group sat around the round table, he sat between Wang Dongning and Xie Xiaodan, standing up first to pour drinks for everyone.

Since they had to work in the afternoon, he had ordered a low-alcohol red wine.

The Mola Red Wine, at 428 a bottle, wasn't the cheapest, but it was enough to suit the occasion.

"Brother Yang, what exactly happened at home? If there's anything you need, tell me, and see if there's anything I can help with. If nothing else, Haimei and I will do whatever we can without hesitation," Wang Dongning asked earnestly.

Wang Yiyang had a perfectly good project that was nearly finished, with a promotion in sight, yet he suddenly quit without warning.

Who would believe that if something major hadn't happened?

Wang Dongning stood up to ask, and the room gradually quieted down. Everyone looked at Wang Yiyang, waiting for an answer.

"It's nothing major, just some family matters I need to go back and handle," Wang Yiyang shook his head and raised his glass.

"But thanks anyway. A toast to you all—may you marry soon and have healthy children."

Seeing that he didn't want to talk about it, the couple didn't press the issue. They stood up, each took a glass, clinked it with his, and downed it in one go.

On the other side, Xie Xiaodan also stood up.

"Same here. Let's keep in touch on our phones. I'm a local here in Yingxing, so if you need any help, just call me. You helped me out a lot back then, and I've kept it all in my heart."

She looked at him earnestly as she raised her glass and clinked it with Wang Yiyang's.

"You're too kind," Wang Yiyang smiled as he clinked glasses with her. "You were so clumsy back then, breaking everything you touched. If my seat hadn't been so close to yours, I bet any of the other guys here would have been unable to resist lending a hand."

The other men around them chimed in, and the room filled with laughter and banter.

But there was no real mirth in Xie Xiaodan's eyes, only a faint sadness. It was clear she was genuinely reluctant to see Wang Yiyang leave.

Or perhaps, as someone new to the industry, this was her first time experiencing such a departure, which was why she felt so moved.

"Don't forget to keep in touch," she said seriously.

"Oh, right, I forgot to mention—I'm a local too," Wang Yiyang suddenly laughed. "If anything comes up, or if you run into trouble, give me a call. Around here, most things are quite easy to resolve."

His tone was gentle, and though he spoke quietly amidst the noisy environment, his words felt unexpectedly powerful to Xie Xiaodan.

It made one instinctively believe in his promise.

"That's quite a bold claim!" Xie Xiaodan couldn't help but laugh. "We've been together for so long, and this is the first time I've heard you say something so arrogant."

"I was just being low-key, wasn't I?" Wang Yiyang laughed as well.

Xia Ying, An Yuxi, and the couple Wang Dongning heard the exchange.

Wang Dongning and his wife didn't pay much mind, but Xia Ying gave Wang Yiyang a strange look.

She felt that Wang Yiyang's demeanor was far too composed and casual, just like... just like the unique aura she had seen in her own father, who was a business owner.

This kind of aura sounded mystical, but in reality, it was simply the ease and condescension that came from having experienced many high-stakes situations.

In social settings, very few people could truly achieve this; only those who genuinely enjoyed socializing or those at the very pinnacle of the social circle naturally exuded such a calm and relaxed air.

However, although Xia Ying noticed it, she was curious but didn't ask. After all, she wasn't close to Wang Yiyang.

But An Yuxi, who had always wanted to elevate her own social circle, noticed it keenly.

Her eyes flickered, and she finally began to observe Wang Yiyang in earnest.

Upon closer inspection, she immediately discovered several unusual details.