Chapter 18

"This can't be Gu Xiu's fault, can it?" Huo Mingzhang couldn't understand. "Those people heard a few scraps and started making things up and spreading rumors themselves. What does that have to do with Gu Xiu?"

Gu Xiu nodded as though he had seized a lifeline. "I was only worried that my brother would force himself to do things he didn't like for the sake of sales. I was also worried those clients would force my brother to do things he didn't like. I was only worried about my brother. I didn't think that much about it."

"Exactly." Wang Miao couldn't help defending Gu Xiu. "Besides, the way Gu Chen acted yesterday was bound to make people misunderstand."

"What's it got to do with you?" Since they had to consider Huo Mingzhang's feelings, Jin Wei and Tao Jiang couldn't say much about Gu Xiu. But they were far less polite to Gu Xiu's two roommates. "You were the ones who spread those rumors, weren't you? I heard you even went and tattled to the counselor over this? Not that I'm saying anything, but we're in college now. Can you stop doing such childish things? If you have a problem with Gu Chen, say it to his face. Spreading rumors behind his back to disgust people—are you even a man?"

"I—" Wang Miao and Xia Tian were unconvinced. But they also knew that Huo Mingzhang and his group came from backgrounds unlike theirs. They couldn't afford to offend a bunch of wealthy, influential second-generation heirs.

Huo Mingzhang was annoyed by the two of them too. He felt that Gu Xiu had probably misspoken without meaning anything by it, only for these two to seize on it and refuse to let go, spreading it everywhere and stirring up discord.

"Gu Xiu and Gu Chen have lived together as brothers for eighteen years. Even if they aren't biologically related, there's no reason for him to harm Gu Chen, right?" Huo Mingzhang defended Gu Xiu. "Xiaoting, don't think so badly of Gu Xiu either. He's just worrying too much because he cares."

Zhou Xiaoting snorted. "I can't be bothered to meddle in other people's business."

As she spoke, Zhou Xiaoting looked at Gu Xiu. "Instead of wasting your energy worrying about others, you should take care of yourself. The feedback the student's parents gave me about yesterday's interview wasn't exactly positive."

Gu Xiu hadn't expected Zhou Xiaoting to come after him over this. He nervously licked his lips and explained softly, "I already did my best to prepare the lesson plan. I was fully prepared, but... that student simply wouldn't listen to my lesson."

"That's normal," Zhou Xiaoting said. "If she were a diligent, obedient good child who studied hard, she wouldn't need you to teach her."

Zhou Xiaoting didn't want to waste any more words on Gu Xiu. Rising with her tray in hand, she said, "You'd better think carefully about how to make your student listen obediently."

Zhou Xiaoting swung her ponytail as she strode away. Watching her slender back, Gu Xiu couldn't help asking Huo Mingzhang, "Senior Zhou really hates me, doesn't she?"

Huo Mingzhang scratched the back of his head and answered with complete bluntness, "Yeah~ Isn't it obvious?"

Gu Xiu: "..."

Gu Xiu bit his lip in grievance. "I don't understand either. How exactly did I offend Senior Zhou? Why does she hate me so much?"

"That's just her personality. All these years, I've never seen her particularly like anyone." After a pause, Huo Mingzhang suddenly thought of something and added, "Gu Chen is probably an exception!"

Thinking of that, Huo Mingzhang suddenly looked at his two childhood friends and gossiped slyly, "Hey, do you think Zhou Xiaoting might actually be interested in Gu Chen?"

His two friends looked at Huo Mingzhang with disdain. "Of course not. It's only been a few days since school started. How many times have they even met?" You think everyone is as lovesick as you, unable to move whenever they see someone good-looking?

Gu Chen, rushing to work, had no idea that after he left, an unscripted conversation had taken place in the cafeteria. When he arrived at the sales office right on time, he saw Cao Yan already standing in front of the lobby, holding a black notebook. Upon seeing Gu Chen, Cao Yan curled his lips smugly.

"At today's regular meeting, I'm announcing something!" Cao Yan opened his notebook. "Our tradition in Sales Department One has always been for veterans to guide newcomers. Newly hired interns lack experience and can't close deals independently, so they need help from senior staff. But senior staff are always sacrificing their own work hours to help and train newcomers, and as their manager, I feel bad about it. We can't let senior employees take on extra duties that aren't theirs just because they're more capable."

"So after giving it some thought, I've decided to introduce a new rule." Cao Yan glanced at Gu Chen, then at Liao Chunhua. "Starting today, interns' performance-based commissions will be cut in half. The other half will go to the person guiding them, to compensate senior employees for the time and effort they put in. This will continue until the intern becomes a full-time employee."

As he spoke, Cao Yan closed his notebook. "No objections, everyone?"

Chapter 18

The moment Cao Yan finished speaking, the sales lobby erupted in an uproar.

"Manager Cao, isn't this inappropriate?" Liao Chunhua was the first to object. "Even if some interns lack experience and can't close deals, Gu Chen is different. Gu Chen independently closed a deal yesterday."

"That's because you trained him so well, Master Liao." Cao Yan said with a smile. "Don't be modest, Sister Liao. You're the overall sales champion of Great Zhou World's Sales Department. I know exactly how capable you are. With you guiding Gu Chen, you put in the effort, and I can rest assured."

"Gu Chen is capable himself. I didn't teach him anything, so I wouldn't dare take credit." Liao Chunhua wasn't buying Cao Yan's act. "Besides, since Gu Chen joined Sales Team One, he's helped me close quite a few deals! If Manager Cao insists on nitpicking this, should half the commission from the deals I closed also go to Gu Chen?"

"Exactly! If we really do this, we won't even feel comfortable asking Gu Chen to help us calculate mortgage interest anymore." Seeing Liao Chunhua speak up, the other female employees of Sales Team One also chimed in. "This rule isn't appropriate for Sales Department One, is it?"

Sales Department One had always been the best-performing sales department in Great Zhou World. Otherwise, the sales task for Great Zhou World's new development wouldn't have fallen to Sales Department One. Over the years, Sales Department One had rarely taken on interns. Under normal circumstances, they only recruited business elites with years of sales experience, people who could immediately fit into the job upon starting. Even when veterans guided newcomers, it was only to help them familiarize themselves with the workplace, its atmosphere, and their colleagues—not to train them in sales skills.

In other words, Cao Yan's decision was entirely aimed at Gu Chen.