Kong Xiuyun's voice came through the receiver, sounding hoarse.
"When the university took Hongbin Tower back, I felt awful too."
"I knew they were walking all over us, but there wasn't a thing I could do."
Wang Xiaoliang's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.
"Xiaoliang, try to let it go. It'll all pass."
He nodded hard, then realized she couldn't see him.
He cleared his throat, forcing down the ache.
"Thanks, Sis."
"Talk to Lanxiang about placing the staff," Kong Xiuyun said, her tone leveling out.
"What do you mean?" Wang Xiaoliang sensed something was wrong.
"I quit."
Wang Xiaoliang froze, then immediately understood. Kong Xiuyun had faced the same suspicions from Li Lanxiang and her mother as he had.
Quit? Kong Xiuyun had played an enormous part in Hongbin Little Tower's booming business. Dahuang had called him the soul of the supermarkets; by that measure, Kong Xiuyun was the soul of Hongbin Little Tower. With her gone, wouldn't the place descend into chaos? How could Li Lanxiang manage it with that heavily pregnant belly?
"I'm already back in my hometown. Tomorrow I'm applying for a job at a hotel in the city."
"Why?" Wang Xiaoliang raised his voice, making several passersby turn to look.
"Was this Lanxiang's idea? That's destroying your own defenses! Brother Qiang will come back sooner or later. Couldn't you hang on a little longer?"
It had to be Li Lanxiang's mother stirring up trouble. The old woman threw her weight around the restaurant because she was related to the owner. How could someone with Kong Xiuyun's temperament put up with that?
"I can't stand Lanxiang's mother, and she can't stand me." Kong Xiuyun sighed.
Just as he thought.
"Rather than bicker every day, I might as well go somewhere else. Once the boss comes back