146 Did I See Wrong?

Three days had passed, and Xia Yuwei’s total sales of thirty-four bottles of imported liquor were still less than half of hers. Among all the new sales representatives, her performance was considered top-tier.

As for the broken bottles, twenty percent of their value had to be deducted from her salary as compensation. Xia Yuwei felt this penalty was reasonably fair. Although it meant her hard work over the past three days was essentially unpaid, someone had to take responsibility, didn't they? She certainly didn't expect anyone to pity her injuries. Meanwhile, the chief culprit was...

He hadn't shown up at the bar for the past two days.

How wonderful.

She seemed to handle all kinds of people much more smoothly than when she first started. If the vibe felt wrong, she would simply slip away early and avoid getting entangled, protecting herself properly. Though there were still unreasonable individuals, it thankfully wasn't too malicious. Most people maintained a very pleasant attitude toward her.

Little did she know how much inner turmoil Lu Yichen experienced as he watched over her from the shadows.

Although he had already spoken with Shao Minghan to ask him to look out for her business and ensure no one bullied her, there were many times when he still almost stepped forward to pull her away.

No, she could endure it, but he couldn't bear it.

He couldn't stand her smiling at others, couldn't stand her receiving cold indifference and disdain from strangers, and couldn't stand how she kept smiling even after being wronged. If things continued this way, he suspected he might be driven mad by her torture.

Thursday morning. The Human Resources Manager's office on the 28th floor of the Jinlin Building.

"Vivian, your performance has been exceptionally brilliant. Congratulations on passing your internship!" Li Xiaocong, the HR manager of the G.P. Company who had originally interviewed her, shook her hand to welcome her joining.

Hearing Li Xiaocong's words, Xia Yuwei's face blossomed into a wide smile as she shook his hand back. "Thank you so much!"

Seeing her joyful expression, Li Xiaocong couldn't help smiling as he sat back behind his desk. "This is the result of your own hard work; you don't need to thank me. I know it's extremely tough for a young woman to work in sales, and you've endured a lot of hardship. However, it turns out my judgment of you was correct. You can take grievances and endure hardships, so you are bound to achieve great things in the future."

"Thank you, Manager Li. No one has ever praised me like this before. Hehe, with someone believing in me this much, I suppose I have no choice but to work hard. Please rest assured, I will never bring shame to the company in the future," Xia Yuwei said sincerely. She felt deeply grateful to this manager who had discovered her and showered her with generous praise.

"Alright! From today onwards, you are assigned to work at the G.P. counter on the fifth floor of the Baili Building on West Street!" Li Xiaocong cut straight to the point, informing Xia Yuwei of the arrangements that had already been made. He picked up a folder, flipped it open to review, and looked up. "The counter manager for the Baili Building branch is Liang Baili, but everyone calls her Lily. Just follow her instructions after you get there. Oh, by the way, Lulu is going there too."

Xia Yuwei, who had been in a state of excitement, instantly changed her expression upon hearing the four words "Baili Building," though Li Xiaocong failed to notice. Could it be that she truly couldn't escape his territory after all?

"Manager Li, could I request a transfer to a different counter?" Xia Yuwei asked cautiously.

"Our company currently has three counters in C City, located in three different Baili Buildings. I arranged this one simply because it's more convenient for you coming from West Street. Is there something wrong?"

"..."

"No problem," Xia Yuwei said with difficulty. "Thank you for looking out for me, Manager Li."

Fine, she would take it one day at a time. It couldn't possibly be such a coincidence that she would run into the person she wished to avoid.

Xia Yuwei and Lulu reported to the G.P. counter on the fifth floor of the Baili Building.

The G.P. counter occupied a retail space of over three hundred square meters in this building. Customers could taste wine, store their collections, and invite friends over for drinks here. In reality, it was set up similarly to a bar, with the only difference being that they exclusively served G.P. brand liquor. Walking along the corridor, one would find rows of wall art detailing the developmental history of G.P. imported liquor culture, presented through art and comic formats. The overall interior design was passionate and vibrant, closely tied to the wine culture while retaining an elegant and understated charm, showcasing the taste and history of the G.P. Company.

"Hello, Counter Manager Liang! I'm the newcomer Xia Yuwei, Vivian. Please guide me in the future!"

"I'm Lulu. Please guide me in the future!"

Liang Baili had formerly been the top sales champion at another imported liquor company—a woman as beautiful and proud as a peacock. At thirty-two years of age, she remained unmarried. Facing the two junior recruits sent by the company, she held her proud head high and merely gave a slight nod to indicate she had heard them.

"Alright! Let's get to work. From now on, call me Lily. In sales, everything is judged by performance; those without results should just keep their mouths shut! Now I'll take you around to get familiar with the environment and meet your colleagues..." With that, Liang Baili swung into motion.

Xia Yuwei's first impression of Liang Baili was that she was strict and devoid of human warmth. Fortunately, although she was arrogant, she was extremely responsible, keeping the entire counter impeccably organized.

Her first day on the job officially required adaptation, especially since standing all day was quite grueling. However, whenever she made the slightest movement to massage her legs, she would catch Liang Baili looking at her with an expression of contempt. On one occasion, Liang Baili even unceremoniously mocked her, saying that if she couldn't handle the work, she might as well go back home to be a pampered lady of leisure, and warning her not to think that good internship grades meant she could disregard her superiors.

If she could actually be a pampered lady, she certainly wouldn't be working in sales, Xia Yuwei thought to herself. Still, she did her best to avoid drawing the counter manager's scorn.

When customers came to inquire, she had to patiently and thoroughly introduce the products, though not everyone who looked at the wine ended up buying it.

By the end of the day, when it was finally time to knock off, Xia Yuwei felt her throat parched and her legs buckling. Yet, the comforting consolation was that her sales performance ranked near the top.

There was an ATM outside the Baili Building. Xia Yuwei walked over, inserted her bank card to check her remaining balance, wanting to know exactly how much she had earned so she could calculate it when payday arrived at the end of the month.

She entered her password and checked the balance.

"Your account balance is 0.00 yuan."

Xia Yuwei blinked, suspecting she had misread the screen.