Chapter 42

"No wonder it's a multinational corporation. The benefits are amazing," Xu Molin said enviously.

"Our Pei Group is always eager for talent, and we have a great need for outstanding Jinghai University students like you, Xu. If you want to work for Pei Group after graduation, we'll welcome you with open arms."

"Really? I'm studying computer science and I'm a junior this year. Does Pei Group recruit interns?"

"Weng Shao, how did you make nearly a hundred million in just three months? Could you share some of your experience with us?"

"Is Pei Real Estate still hiring students for part-time work? Do you think I'd qualify?"

The interaction between the three had long attracted the attention of the surrounding students and parents. Hearing Pei Xingze's words, everyone instinctively gathered around, chattering as they recommended themselves.

Pei Xingze welcomed everyone with a smile and told the students to submit their résumés to Pei Group.

Seeing the crowd grow larger and larger, even affecting the normal enrollment process, Weng Shao could only ask Pei Xingze to leave first.

Having seized the initiative and made quite an impression on President Pei, Xu Molin directly took Weng Shao to the Finance Department's freshman registration desk. When they passed the place where phone cards were being handled, he asked, "Are you getting a campus SIM card?"

Only then did Weng Shao remember that the SIM card he was using was still from Qingyuan City. There were no nationwide phone plans back then, and making or receiving calls outside one's home area incurred roaming charges.

With that in mind, Weng Shao went in to get a new SIM card and bought a new phone while he was at it. Seeing this, Xu Molin immediately took out his own phone and called Weng Shao's new number. "Junior, this is my number. Save it. If you need anything in the future, just call me."

Weng Shao thought that this senior of his really knew how to take the initiative.

He did not dislike people like that. Taking the initiative and seizing opportunities was better than doing nothing and waiting passively.

But if someone took the initiative at the cost of sacrificing him as a bargaining chip, Weng Shao smiled faintly. Then it would depend on whose skills were better.

By the time they had completed all the procedures, it was nearly noon. Xu Molin put Weng Shao's bedding on the dormitory bed and said, sweating profusely, "I'll take you to the cafeteria. You haven't gotten a meal card yet, so this meal's on me."

Weng Shao was lowering his head to text Pei Xingze, telling him that he had gotten a new SIM card. Hearing Xu Molin's words, he immediately smiled. "Thanks—"

Before he could finish, a phone suddenly started ringing.

Xu Molin glanced at Weng Shao's phone. It was not ringing. He hurriedly pulled out his own phone, but it was not ringing either. Looking at Weng Shao in confusion, he saw that Weng Shao was talking on another phone.

The call was from the sales office manager.

To attend Pei Group's hundredth anniversary celebration gala, Weng Shao and his colleagues from the Lakeside Garden Sales Office had arrived in Jinghai a day early. Under headquarters' arrangements, they had stayed at the Pei Grand Hotel, where the celebration was being held. However, Weng Shao had not returned all night after the gala, while his Lakeside Garden colleagues were due to return to Qingyuan City the next day.

Once they parted, no one knew when they would meet again. The sales office staff could not bear to part with Weng Shao, so they figured that before leaving, they should at least sit down for a meal together. It was not about parting on good terms, but about making sure Weng Shao remembered that he still had this group of people.

Reading the situation, Xu Molin immediately said, "If you have something to do, go ahead. We can get together another day."

Covering the phone's receiver, Weng Shao gave Xu Molin an apologetic smile. "I'll treat you to dinner tomorrow."

Not another day, but tomorrow. Xu Molin immediately caught the difference and happily gave Weng Shao an OK sign.

They went downstairs together, one heading for the cafeteria and the other leaving campus. After walking together for a while, they naturally went their separate ways.

Xu Molin stood where he was, staring blankly at Weng Shao's gradually receding figure for a long time.

Until someone reached over and patted him on the shoulder. "What are you looking at so intently?"

Xu Molin came back to himself. Looking at his familiar roommate, he suddenly smiled. "Nothing. Guess who I ran into while welcoming freshmen today?"

"Weng Shao and President Pei, of course!" His roommate slung an arm around Xu Molin's shoulders and said carelessly, "The group chat's gone crazy over it. They're saying President Pei personally invited you to work at Pei Group after graduation. How come you're so lucky?"

"We were both welcoming freshmen, so how did you move so fast? Be honest, did you get in good with Weng Shao? Introduce him to the rest of us sometime."

Xu Molin smiled and inexplicably changed the subject. "I'm starving. Let's go eat at the cafeteria first."

"Cut it out—"

Xu Molin hurriedly begged for mercy. "I'm treating! Order whatever you want, and I'll pay. Is that good enough?"

"Now that's more like it!"

The young male college students headed to the cafeteria with their arms around one another's shoulders.

At the same time, Weng Shao took a taxi to the Pei Grand Hotel.

The sales office manager had reserved a private room. Since they were all Pei Group employees, they even received an internal discount.

Perhaps because of that, word of it had somehow spread within the company. During their meal, colleagues from other branches and subsidiaries would occasionally come in to offer toasts. The moment each person entered, they would say they had long admired Weng Shao's reputation, their manner warm and overly familiar. If the private room had not been so small, they might have sat down and joined the meal directly.

The sales office staff had originally wanted to catch up with Weng Shao, but after only a few words, someone would knock on the door! After only a few words, someone would knock on the door! By the end, even senior executives and directors from group headquarters had come after hearing the news. Everyone was numb.

Weng Shao watched Pei Xiyao push open the door and enter. Come to think of it, the older generation of the Pei family all looked somewhat alike. They all had that refined, scholarly sort of appearance.

Like the uninvited Pei Xiyao before him, who wore a well-tailored black suit today and rimless glasses. He spoke elegantly and carried himself with cultured refinement. Even his features bore a fifty-percent resemblance to Pei Jingyao's. Without a closer look, one might have thought Chairman Pei had come to visit the employees.

The sales office staff stood up in flattered surprise and raised their glasses to toast Pei Xiyao.

Though Pei Xiyao was not Chairman Pei, he was also a shareholder and director of Pei Group. The same blood as Chairman Pei ran through his veins, and he was deeply trusted by Chairman Pei.

Now, seeing such a powerful figure within the group laughing and chatting with low-level employees like them and proactively greeting them, the sales office staff could not help but feel favorably toward him.

In the end, only Weng Shao, seated at the head of the table, remained still. He watched coldly as the much-praised Pei Xiyao walked toward him with a glass of red wine. "Weng Shao, right? We met at the celebration gala yesterday. You left a deep impression on me."

Only then did Weng Shao stand up, a trace of flattered excitement appearing on his face. Like an inexperienced young man who understood neither social etiquette nor workplace rules, he said, "I never expected you to notice me. I heard President Pei say that you're actually the person in charge of Pei Real Estate..."

Pei Xiyao suddenly understood. No wonder he had felt that Weng Shao was paying him unusual attention at yesterday's banquet. He had thought that playboy Pei Xingze had told him something. He had even planned to test the waters when he had the chance, lest he expose some clue without realizing it. But it had only been a false alarm—this kid had merely realized that he was his immediate superior.

Pei Xiyao quietly let out a breath of relief, then began mocking himself for being overly suspicious. Thinking about it, what could Pei Xingze, that playboy who only knew how to eat, drink, and have fun, possibly notice? He only relied on his good family background to compete with others over petty pride.

With that thought, Pei Xiyao smiled. "As the person in charge, I've benefited greatly from all of you. Pei Real Estate's performance last quarter made the board and shareholders extremely satisfied!"

"On behalf of the group, I'd also like to thank all of you. You've worked hard."

The sales office staff hurriedly raised their glasses. "Not at all, not at all. It's what we should do."

Pei Xiyao smiled and offered the others a few words of encouragement before asking Weng Shao, "What are your plans going forward?"

Before Weng Shao could respond, Pei Xiyao added, "Actually, you could consider my elder brother's proposal. He thinks highly of you, and Xingze trusts you very much. Working under them will definitely give you the greatest possible training."

With smiling eyes, Weng Shao replied earnestly, "I'll seriously consider President Pei's words."

"Don't call me President Pei." Pei Xiyao waved a hand and smiled. "There are too many President Peis in our group. Just call me Second Uncle, like Xingze does. Come to think of it, you're about the same age as my children. If there's a chance, I can introduce you to them. I'm sure people your age will have plenty in common."

Weng Shao did not take Pei Xiyao's words to heart.

He was somewhat curious about how Pei Xiyao's wife and children would react if they learned that their model husband and model father had been keeping an illegitimate son outside the family as early as eighteen years ago.

Weng Shao thought maliciously, Since we're all the same age, we should have plenty in common, right?

After all, in his previous life, their goals had been quite aligned—they had all wanted to drive Weng Shao out of Pei Group's board of directors, yet none of them had succeeded. In the end, they had instead fallen into Weng Shao's schemes. Some went bankrupt, while others went to prison.

He just did not know whether this time, they would still have the chance to work together against him.

The smiling Pei Xiyao suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. He frowned almost imperceptibly and looked at Weng Shao uneasily. He felt that this young man's eyes were too deep, making him uncomfortable.

Even so, Pei Xiyao did not abandon his intention to win Weng Shao over. At his age, he would no longer allow his likes and dislikes to affect his emotions. At worst, he could kick Weng Shao aside after squeezing every last bit of use out of him. But for now, Pei Xiyao would not let go of such a key figure who could influence Pei Xingze's decisions.

He had to find a way to keep Weng Shao in his grasp. Through Weng Shao, he would control Pei Xingze, then use Pei Xingze to influence Pei Jingyao and Guan Shunhua.

Pei Xiyao's calculations were shrewd. Yet he did not know that from the moment he appeared before Weng Shao, he had already fallen into Weng Shao's trap.