124. The Southern Sect First

After wandering through the suburban shantytowns for over a dozen minutes, Guo Jingyuan finally arrived in front of a dilapidated apartment building just as the sun was about to set.

Yes, just as the sun was setting.

Earlier that day, the short man had insisted she buy toiletries, then drove her for quite a while to a commercial district. They spent over two hours eating—Guo Jingyuan had paid for the lunch herself. Afterward, they spent another hour or so browsing a supermarket before getting back in the car for another long drive.

The two men and the driver followed her up the stairs, and after unlocking the first door, they finally entered the apartment.

The space inside was cramped—too small for four people to stand comfortably—so the driver didn't enter. He simply slammed the door shut and stood guard outside.

The short man then knocked on a second door. A muffled question seemed to come from inside, but it was too far away for Guo Jingyuan to hear clearly. The short man whispered a reply, the door opened, and the three of them stepped into the living room one after another.

There were only a man and a woman in the living room, along with three other closed doors.

"Is little Guo here?"

The woman greeted her warmly. From her voice, Guo Jingyuan recognized her as the person who had contacted her that morning.

"Hello, Manager!" Guo Jingyuan said, bowing nervously.

"I'm not a manager. I’m just a fellow partner. Just call me Linghua."

Linghua pulled Guo Jingyuan onto the sofa and began asking enthusiastically about her day. She shared her own experiences from when she first joined the company, telling Guo Jingyuan not to worry and to relax, as her colleagues here were just like family.

"The colleagues are so warm!" Guo Jingyuan couldn't help but think.

She slowly let her guard down, never questioning why a company would operate out of a residential apartment, nor noticing that including herself, there were only six people in the entire firm.

"Jingyuan, now that you’ve arrived at the company safely, don't you want to call your family to let them know you're okay?"

Prompted by Linghua, Guo Jingyuan realized that was probably a sensible thing to do.

But who could she call? Her mother was gone, and her father didn't care whether she lived or died. Did she even have a family left?

Guo Jingyuan’s expression dimmed. After a moment of thought, she dialed Chen Ruowen’s number.

She should let her know she had arrived at a new company and found such friendly colleagues, so she wouldn't worry.

Unsurprisingly, the call did not go through.

Recalling the post Chen Ruowen had made on her social media the previous night, Guo Jingyuan hung up and apologized to Linghua.

"She seems quite busy these past few days. I'll call her later."

"Why not send a text message first?" Linghua suggested.

Guo Jingyuan followed her advice.

The group played a few bedtime games before finally dispersing to their respective rooms to sleep. Linghua and Guo Jingyuan shared a room, and after bidding each other goodnight, Guo Jingyuan drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

The next day, Guo Jingyuan was awakened by Linghua.

"Come with me to see our manager," Linghua said.

Guo Jingyuan didn't even have time to wash up before she was hurriedly pulled into the living room.

The manager was a man in his thirties, dressed in a sharp suit and looking quite refined. A burly man stood opposite him, glancing sideways at Guo Jingyuan.

"Manager, I've brought her to you. I'll be going now."

Linghua greeted them and retreated back into the room.

With the only person she knew gone, Guo Jingyuan began to feel uneasy. The man before her looked so stern—what if he wasn't satisfied with her? Would he... fire her?

"Your name is Guo Jingyuan?" the manager asked. "How old are you?"

"Almost eighteen..."

"So young? Linghua said you’re from Nancheng. How did you end up working in Beicheng?"

"I sent out several resumes, and only a few companies in Beicheng replied, so..."

"I see. Since you came alone, are your family members okay with it?"

At the mention of family, Guo Jingyuan's eyes dimmed. Linghua had asked about her family situation the day before, but knowing that one shouldn't air dirty laundry in public, she hadn't said much.

"They don't mind. I’m old enough now; I should learn to earn my own living."

"Is your family situation not very good?" the manager asked again. Seeing Guo Jingyuan nod hesitantly, he added in a gentle, persuasive tone, "Having a difficult family background is nothing to be ashamed of. The most important thing is to work hard with your own hands, improve your circumstances, and bring glory to your parents. Isn't that right?"

Bring glory to her parents?

Did they even need her to bring them glory?

In her father's eyes, she was a disgrace, a liar, and a burden. Was there anyone in this world who needed her or acknowledged her?

Guo Jingyuan suppressed the bitterness in her heart and nodded slightly.

"You're right."

"Exactly. Our company can not only help you achieve this wish and help you become wealthy, but it can also help your friends and relatives start their own businesses and make money. If your family situation is poor, or if you often feel like you have no presence in life, coming to our company can maximize your value and make you an indispensable, important presence in the eyes of your friends."

Helping friends make money? Guo Jingyuan smiled. Her only friend happened to be the person least in need of money in this entire world...

Seeing her smile, the manager asked, "If there were an opportunity to help your best friend and family make a large sum of money, would you share this method with them?"

"I would..." Guo Jingyuan paused, "but she doesn't seem to need money."

This answer made the manager's eyes light up. A friend who doesn't need money?

That’s even better!

He’d love to have a dozen friends like that!

"You can't look at it that way. Even if a friend doesn't lack money, we shouldn't be selfish and hide the path to wealth. When there's money to be made, everyone should share in it. That's how you make the path smoother, right?" the manager said righteously.

This sounded like something Chen Ruowen had once said regarding the business principles of Xingxing—that one shouldn't be greedy and keep everything for oneself. Thus, Guo Jingyuan nodded in agreement again.

The manager asked her a barrage of ambiguous questions. Guo Jingyuan didn't fully understand some of them, but she felt there was a grain of truth in what he said, so she nodded along vaguely. The questioning lasted for several hours before finally ending, and the manager walked out of the room.

After the manager left, Guo Jingyuan returned to her room, feeling dazed, and took out the toiletries she had bought the day before to wash up.

She reached under her pillow, and her expression changed instantly. She hurriedly threw the pillow aside and knelt on the bed, searching frantically, her voice trembling with a hint of a sob.

"My phone and wallet are gone!"

Linghua, who shared the room, did not respond. Upon hearing Guo Jingyuan’s exclamation, she simply walked out of the room with a blank expression.

Guo Jingyuan wasn't entirely foolish. Since yesterday, Linghua was the only person who had entered her room. If her things were missing, it had to be Linghua who took them.

Without a second thought, Guo Jingyuan rushed out after her.

"Linghua, did you..."

The moment Guo Jingyuan dashed out of the room, ten burly men suddenly appeared, forming a dark, imposing arc that completely blocked her path.