Chapter 22

Yao Liangsheng and Yao Liangjing exchanged a glance and said hesitantly, "We brothers came uninvited tonight. We were presumptuous. Please forgive us."

"You're making too much of it." Cheng Lang smiled. "White Jade Capital is open for business. Everyone who walks in is a guest. It's our duty to make sure our guests have a good time."

The Yao brothers wanted to say more, but Cheng Lang smiled and said, "If it's convenient, could I use the restroom first?"

The Yao brothers froze, then immediately flushed bright red.

Cheng Lang took the stairs two at a time. Just as he was about to push open the restroom door, someone called out to stop him. "I was just about to go downstairs and find you! Chen wants you in his office. He has something to tell you. Go over now—Chen's waiting for you!"

Cheng Lang: "..." He just wanted to use the restroom!

Chapter 22

Cheng Lang seriously suspected that his colleagues and superiors at White Jade Capital were targeting him.

"You can't treat an orphan with a tragic background but an optimistic nature, someone hardworking, positive, lively, and uplifting, like this!" Cheng Lang stood in Chen's office and protested. "You won't even let me use the restroom. Are you jealous because I'm handsome, charming, sweet-talking, and popular with the customers? Are you trying to nip this future billionaire in the bud?"

Chen had both a headache and the urge to laugh. "Stop messing around. How are we trying to nip you in the bud?"

"By making me hold it until I die!" Cheng Lang said with a completely serious expression. Otherwise, why would no one let him use the restroom?

"Who stopped you from using the restroom?" Chen looked at Cheng Lang helplessly.

Cheng Lang pointed at Chen's trusted underling and accused him, "I said I needed to use the restroom, and he wouldn't let me. He just grabbed me and dragged me up here."

Cheng Lang was so aggrieved.

The trusted underling was innocent too. "I thought he was joking. And I figured you were in a hurry to see him..."

Chen waved a hand and said to Cheng Lang, "Go use the restroom first."

Without another word, Cheng Lang turned and left. His retreating figure was utterly resolute.

Chen shook his head helplessly.

His trusted underling was still explaining, "When I saw him on the second floor, he was chatting with those two crosstalk performers from Grand View Stage."

"Enough. You can't be blamed for this either," Chen said. Cheng Lang simply looked unreliable. When he told the truth, no one believed it was true. When he lied, no one dared believe it was a lie either.

When Cheng Lang came out of the restroom, he happened to run into Chen Hai, the purchasing department manager. Chen Hai looked at Cheng Lang and yawned widely. "I ordered the goods you wanted. I put down your milk tea shop as the delivery address and told them to deliver it Monday at noon. Someone will be there to receive it, right?"

"I'll be at the shop at noon," Cheng Lang said. "Thanks, Brother Chen."

"It's nothing." Chen Hai yawned again, then reminded him, "Remember to check the payment and goods face-to-face."

"Mm." Cheng Lang nodded, then asked Chen Hai, "Brother Chen, why are you getting off work so late today?"

"The big boss is here. We had to report on our work." Chen Hai glanced at Cheng Lang. "Chen called you up for something, didn't he?"

Cheng Lang's heart stirred, but he asked nothing. He simply said with a grin, "Chen did call me upstairs."

Chen Hai said nothing else either. He patted Cheng Lang on the shoulder. "Perform well."

When Cheng Lang returned to Chen's office, Chen had already dismissed his trusted underling and was sitting behind his desk playing a game. Seeing Cheng Lang return, he casually said, "I called you up for no particular reason. Next month is President Qin's grandfather's eightieth birthday. President Qin wants to take you to the birthday banquet and have you perform a crosstalk routine for the old man."

As he spoke, Chen carefully watched Cheng Lang's reaction.

Cheng Lang frowned slightly, his expression thoughtful. Chen's heart tightened, and he asked in a low voice, "What is it? Is there a problem?"

"It's not a major problem." Cheng Lang looked at Chen and asked tentatively, "Will President Qin's grandfather's birthday banquet be during the day or at night?"

"The formal banquet is at night, but we'll have to go over during the day," Chen said.

Cheng Lang frowned. "That'll take several hours, right?"

Chen did not understand what Cheng Lang meant. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"I just wanted to ask how the appearance fee will be calculated." Cheng Lang looked at the speechless Chen, and his expression suddenly turned wary. "What's with that look? Don't tell me you don't plan on paying me?"

Chen took a deep breath, feeling his head buzz. "That's all you wanted to ask? Nothing else?"

"Yes!" Cheng Lang nodded. "But let's clear up this issue before discussing the other ones."

Chen rubbed the back of his head. "The appearance fee is twenty thousand yuan."

Cheng Lang emphasized, "I'm White Jade Capital's star performer!"

Chen said, "So?"

"How can you lowball me like this?" Cheng Lang said disapprovingly. "Using public authority for private gain and disrupting market rates."

That was quite an accusation. Chen was so annoyed that he laughed. "Then how much do you want?"

Cheng Lang thought very seriously. It was his first time being the top act in this sort of service industry, so he had no experience. He had no idea how much his predecessors charged.

After thinking it over, Cheng Lang asked, "Do you know how much appearance fee the crosstalk performers at Grand View Stage get for a performance?"

Chen looked at Cheng Lang strangely. "You really think you're a crosstalk performer now?"

Cheng Lang looked at Chen innocently. "Didn't you ask me to perform crosstalk?"

Chen: "..."

Chen took another breath. "How about this? I'll give you one hundred thousand yuan. Is that enough?"

Cheng Lang nodded. Looking shy, he added, "How much money I get isn't important. The important thing is that I need to uphold the standards and market rate of White Jade Capital's top act. I can't let down Chen's expectations of me."

Chen: "..." Those words sounded inexplicably familiar. So he had ended up shooting himself in the foot?

Chen shook his head, then asked Cheng Lang, "Didn't you say you had other questions? Say them all at once!"