Chapter 058: Starting Anew

This story is purely fictional.

After being summoned by Grace Gao, Leng Junfeng was left with a bitter taste in his heart. He skipped work and didn’t show up at the company. Leng Junfeng understood perfectly well that Grace’s words were laden with hidden meaning. Although she hadn’t spoken openly about his actions, he knew she was all too aware. Now, this woman had been completely overshadowed by Dai Yunjiao, an outsider who had suddenly risen to prominence. Leng Junfeng felt a hundred kinds of resentment and refusal to accept this reality.

But reality is nothing if not cruel—he simply no longer held any position in her heart. He’d hoped to grasp some leverage, something that would force her to yield to him, but, unfortunately, she had gotten to it first. He racked his brain but couldn’t come up with any new move that would compel this woman to submit. Since every open tactic was futile, he decided to give up competing openly with Dai Yunjiao. If he couldn’t win in the light, he would seize back what was rightfully his from the shadows.

He turned this over in his mind: if he could amass enough capital, he would never lack for beauty by his side. The most urgent thing now was to make money—fast. He devised a plan and, through a friend, acquired a high-level gaming account worth over ten million. The betting website associated with this account was hosted on overseas servers, providing a decent degree of security. His method was clear: lure the company’s existing players to this new account, named “Broadcast.”

His greedy nature surfaced as he contemplated claiming this new market for himself. “Broadcast” offered betting odds that were 0.2 higher than those on the “Crown” platform they currently used. Don’t underestimate this 0.2 difference—it was a significant advantage that would attract players during betting. It was a notable edge.

Leng Junfeng gathered a few seasoned veterans and trusted aides from the Dohao Company, including Ghostface and Black Tiger. He summoned them all to his office. Suddenly, he realized he had forgotten to include Xiao Jin from the police department. In an effort to secure Xiao Jin’s unwavering loyalty, Leng Junfeng made an unprovoked gesture of goodwill—transferring thirty thousand directly into Xiao Jin’s bank account.

Xiao Jin, busy with work, was puzzled when his phone notified him of the thirty-thousand transfer. Given his usual dealings with Lin Yanfeng, he found the transfer not entirely out of the ordinary, but still, he called Leng Junfeng.

“Hello, Director Leng. I just received a thirty-thousand transfer from you. May I ask what this is about?” Xiao Jin’s voice was soft.

“Officer Xiao, you’re too polite! The transfer is simply a token of appreciation for your recent contributions. There’s no need for such formality or explanations. That money is yours by right, so let’s not stand on ceremony. We’re friends, aren’t we?” Leng Junfeng spoke loudly into the phone, seated in his chair.

His associates exchanged glances and whispered among themselves. Leng Junfeng noticed and continued into the phone, “I wonder if you have time to drop by today? I’ve prepared some excellent tea for you to try. If you’re free, do come.”

“Thank you for the invitation, Director Leng. I’ll come by after I finish up here,” Xiao Jin readily agreed.

After hanging up, Leng Junfeng saw his companions still murmuring among themselves, well aware of what they were discussing. He immediately raised his voice, “Everyone quiet down! Those present today each deserve a share. I won’t let anyone down. In just a few minutes, you’ll all see a bonus transferred into your accounts—a token of my appreciation. Please enjoy yourselves.”

Moments later, everyone’s phone buzzed with incoming funds. Smiles broke out all around as they stood to bow in gratitude.

“Today, I’ve gathered you all here to reconnect and, especially, to thank you for your recent hard work. Thanks to your support, our betting operations in HZ have flourished, always ranking among the top. Although I’m not the chairman, I’ve taken on those responsibilities. Before Grace arrived at MC and before Dai Yunjiao joined us, my position in HZ was unshakable. But since they came, you’ve all seen my standing become precarious—almost untenable. I’ve tolerated this for the sake of the bigger picture. Yet, Grace has shown no regard for my efforts. If I don’t act now, all of us will be left with no options. So, we’re going to swap the beams for pillars—find a new path to develop our business.”

The crowd buzzed with confusion, unsure of what to do or how. One employee asked, “Could you explain how we’re going to ‘swap the beams for pillars’? We don’t have a clue.”

“No need to worry,” Leng Junfeng assured them. “Each of you already holds some player information, right? Those clients are your assets. In the past, this was the basis for your income and distribution. However, Grace has been skimming off the majority during revenue allocation. You may not have known, but now it’s time to look out for ourselves.”

“Just give the word, Director Leng! We’ve followed you for years. Whatever you ask, we’ll do.” The room erupted in agreement. Leng Junfeng signaled for silence.

When the room fell quiet, he continued, “Here’s our plan. First, compile your client lists. Based on their previous betting volumes, we’ll reassign the overall betting quotas to you. The platform you’ll be given allows one-on-one management of your clients. Getting this site was no easy feat, so I hope you’ll use it well.”

He sipped his coffee, cleared his throat, and went on, “With this new betting site, you’ll experience a whole new level of excitement and increased income. Conservatively, your monthly earnings should rise by thirty to forty percent. Are you satisfied?”

“Thank you, Director Leng! We will do our utmost to build your business and see it thrive,” they replied in unison.

“With your dedication and hard work, I believe our future will be even brighter. But I have one rule—absolute secrecy. This betting site operates differently from Grace’s, so our interests are now in conflict. Under no circumstances should there be any leaks. If anything goes wrong, whoever causes it will be held responsible. From now on, we’re all friends on the same path, in the same boat. I trust you all know the importance of weighing your actions.”

Just as the meeting was drawing to a close, Grace Gao called Leng Junfeng. His face grew serious; he couldn’t imagine what she wanted at this moment.

He gestured for silence, and the room became still.

Grace’s voice came through the line, “You didn’t come to the office today and didn’t notify anyone. What are you up to, Director Leng?”

His heart skipped a beat. Had word of his meeting leaked before he’d even left the room? Was Grace really so formidable? He doubted anyone would have betrayed him, yet he quickly composed himself and replied, “I’m just having tea and chatting with a few friends. Is there something you need, Director Gao?”

“Oh, having tea, chatting—while a mountain of work sits unaddressed at the company. You really do know how to enjoy life.” There was a hint of dissatisfaction in Grace’s tone.

He silently cursed, “Damn it, no matter how much I enjoy life, I’ll never compare to you. You’ve got your young lover and live in constant bliss. Beside you, I’m nothing.” Still, he answered calmly, “I’m not feeling well. Caught a cold yesterday and have been coughing. I was worried about passing my illness to everyone, so I stayed home. With your golden boy there, the company’s in good hands.”

“You sound like you’re sulking. We’ve worked together for years—if there’s an issue, let’s discuss it openly, not through sarcasm. Unity is vital; the company’s interests come first. We must make HZ’s betting business a success, make Will at headquarters happy, and secure our future. Only then can we achieve true growth.”

“I’m not petty, but are you, Director Gao? We’ve known each other for ten years, yet you seem more distant than ever. I used to admire you, wanted to get close, but you were always like a goddess—forever out of reach. I admit, I was once infatuated, but that’s all in the past. I’ve made up my mind: I won’t worship you anymore. I’ll be myself, and as long as I’m comfortable, that’s enough. As for the company, do what you must; I’ll just do what I can. Don’t expect too much.”

Grace sensed something was wrong and tried to reassure him. “If you’re free tomorrow, let’s have dinner together. It seems we need a good heart-to-heart.”

In over ten years, this was the first time the woman he loved had invited him to dinner. He wasn’t exactly excited, but still, it was her first invitation, and he felt a tinge of anticipation. He replied, “Once you’ve picked a place, let me know. See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.” Grace hung up.

(To be continued)