Get Yang Qintian Fired

After driving all morning, Zhang Yang made it back to his room just before Cheng Dongxue and the others returned from work. He hadn't gone out all morning, though, or even bought groceries. He was probably in for another scolding.

While no one was home, Zhang Yang hurried to get ready and rushed out.

His ride was an electric bicycle he'd owned for years. It ran on battery power, but he could pedal it when the battery died.

Despite his rush, Zhang Yang got back late. The whole family was home waiting for lunch, and he still had the groceries in his hands.

"Why are you only getting back now?" Cheng Dongxue complained.

She was in a terrible mood. She had nearly lost her job today. Yang Qintian had taken the day off on some pretext, but he'd called to start making her life miserable.

Zhang Yang had said he would get Yang Qintian out of the company today, but he hadn't managed it.

"Useless good-for-nothing. You don't have a job, you laze around at home all day, and you can't even get lunch ready on time." Yang Su jabbed a finger at Zhang Yang's nose as she berated him.

She still hadn't settled last night's score, and now there was a fresh offense to add. Yang Su had been ready for him, and sure enough, Zhang Yang had walked straight into her line of fire.

Zhang Yang ignored her and fell back on his old tactic. Not listening. It's just a turtle chanting scriptures.

"Honestly, don't you know we have to go back to work this afternoon? We need a little rest after lunch," Cheng Hai said in a milder tone, perhaps leaving the real scolding to Yang Su.

"Eating and loafing around all day like a pig!" Yang Su followed Zhang Yang to the kitchen door, shouting as he carried the groceries inside.

Cheng Dongxue felt guilty. Whatever else was true, Zhang Yang had been doing this for more than a day or two. She was the one who had started this one-sided war.

"Mom, that's enough!" Remembering what had happened at Elegant Residence last night, Cheng Dongxue wondered if they had misunderstood Zhang Yang all along.

If Zhang Yang ever decided to take offense, there was no telling what might happen.

Yang Su wouldn't listen. If Cheng Dongxue's pleas had worked, there would have been no arguments in this house, and outsiders would never have known Zhang Yang as the useless son-in-law who had married into the family.

The Cheng family had lost their cooking skills, but Zhang Yang had grown steadily more adept. His food was good enough to serve anyone.

Before long, Zhang Yang had five dishes and a soup on the table.

Yang Su still wouldn't let it go. Even while eating, she kept grumbling.

Zhang Yang remained silent. He didn't want to argue; words would do no good. Besides, they were family, so he couldn't hit her. Otherwise, a few slaps would have shut Yang Su up long ago.

After lunch, Zhang Yang practically fled the house with Cheng Dongxue, saying he was going out to look for work.

He had no real plans to look for a job. Someone like him had no need to work, so finding a job was out of the question.

Sitting in Cheng Dongxue's Volkswagen CC, Zhang Yang said nothing. They had been intimate only last night.

"Are you angry?" Cheng Dongxue glanced at his cold expression. He had been staring out the window.

"No," Zhang Yang denied it.

"It's written all over your face." As she had when she first accepted Zhang Yang's help, Cheng Dongxue cared about how he felt.

"I'm sorry. That's just how they are. Don't take it to heart." Cheng Dongxue offered the same explanation she always did. Children knew their parents' temperaments best.

Whenever Zhang Yang was mistreated at home, Cheng Dongxue apologized to him.

"Just get back earlier next time," she said with a smile.

In this family, some went to work and others went to school. Zhang Yang alone had nothing to do, so nearly all the housework fell to him.

As always, Cheng Dongxue encouraged him to meet the family's expectations and avoid another scolding.

"Mm." Zhang Yang didn't want to explain. He kept looking out the window as he answered.

"Heh." Thinking of last night in bed, Cheng Dongxue had to admit Zhang Yang wasn't useless at everything. His moves and stamina were those of a seasoned hand.

"When you said you were looking for work, did you mean it?"

Zhang Yang had used that excuse countless times, but all of those times had been during the thousand years he was trapped. As far as everyone else knew, he had only said it once.

"I did," Zhang Yang replied.

He really had considered finding work, but he had no direction yet. He was still figuring out how to make use of the resources at his disposal. They were a fortune beyond measure.

He had tried working at Cheng Dongxue's company, but he hadn't stuck with it.

After a thousand years, Zhang Yang had grown used to living as he pleased. Taking a job would require real resolve.

"Then look properly. Having a steady job really is important," Cheng Dongxue said as she drove.

Cheng Dongxue didn't want the car to fall silent. Zhang Yang was upset, and she needed to distract him before he dwelled on it any longer.

"Yang Qintian must have had it rough yesterday, because he didn't come to work today. But he called to threaten me and piled so much work on me that I can barely finish it all."

She complained without mocking Zhang Yang for claiming he could deal with Yang Qintian and get him kicked out of the company today.

"I'm sorry. I forgot." Zhang Yang turned to her, looking apologetic.

He should have dealt with yesterday's matter last night, but...

He'd been busy last night. He should have handled it first thing this morning, but when he opened the door, he ran into Lin Xiaofei, who had dark circles under her eyes. In the spirit of giving everyone her fair share of attention, he couldn't favor one over the other, so he had spent some time with her.

"I'll make a call. I'll make a call." Zhang Yang grinned foolishly and took out his phone.

He called Zhang Xuanyi, Cheng Dongxue's current boss and his former one.

"Boss Zhang, I'm sending you a little video to enjoy." Zhang Yang said only that before hanging up and sending a short video.

A few minutes later, Zhang Yang's phone rang. It was Cheng Dongxue's boss.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"Who I am doesn't matter. That video's quite something. What do you think it's worth?"

"How much? Name your price."

"I don't want money. I want Yang Qintian out of the company and never hired back. Otherwise, the video goes public. And don't think you can steal it—there are plenty more versions of the same story. I guarantee even the stars of Japanese adult films would be impressed by you."

Zhang Yang had laid out his terms.

"Why should I believe you?"

"You have no reason not to. I guarantee videos like this have a market. Those little websites would pay a fortune for them. You'd be famous not just here, but overseas too."

The "little video" was footage of Zhang Xuanyi, Yang Qintian, and Cheng Li in some rather surprising positions.

Yang Qintian had climbed the ranks thanks to his wife Cheng Li's selfless contributions. How Zhang Xuanyi went about firing him was none of Zhang Yang's concern. There were plenty of ways.

"I'll think about it." After a long silence, Zhang Xuanyi finally answered.

"I'll expect results when work starts this afternoon." Zhang Yang hung up before Zhang Xuanyi could say anything else. By now, the man was probably tearing his hair out.