At 8:08:08 AM on August 8th, Junheng Trading Co., Ltd. officially held its ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand opening.
A crowd from the Ma family, along with congratulatory guests and the entire company staff, had formed a large circle in front of the building.
The entrance was also filled with large floral arrangements, many of them sent by the restaurants they supplied.
"Congratulations, Wu Jun! The company’s finally open. I was getting anxious for you." Luo Weimin smiled, stuffing two bulging red envelopes into Wu Jun’s hands. "They’re from me and your Auntie Xu."
"Congratulations, Jun." Xu Xiulan was wearing the outfit Luo Weimin had given her for her birthday. She looked absolutely radiant, like a graceful and noble peony; no one would ever guess she had once been a hospital janitor.
"Thank you, Auntie Xu and Uncle." Wu Jun didn’t stand on ceremony with Luo Weimin and accepted the red envelopes with a smile.
Hearing Wu Jun call Luo Weimin "Uncle," Xu Xiulan shot her partner a playful glare. Luo Weimin just chuckled foolishly, pretending not to notice.
"Congratulations, President Wu. Here’s to a successful partnership."
"Congratulations, President Wu! Wishing you a prosperous opening!"
Many people, some Wu Jun knew and some he didn’t, came forward to congratulate him and offer red envelopes. A good number of them were clients of Xu Fei and the other sales managers—people Wu Jun had never even met.
After congratulating Wu Jun, they dispersed to chat with people they knew.
Wu Guangqiang was now able to leave his hospital room, so Wu Jun had driven over earlier to pick up both his parents.
Wu Guangqiang sat in the wheelchair Ma Siyu had bought for over 10,000 yuan, a constant smile on his face as he watched the lively grand opening of his son’s company.
He had thought that after his major accident, having spent so much money and placed such a huge burden on his son, it would be difficult for Wu Jun to ever get back on his feet.
But now, not only had his son not been dragged down by him, he was earning more money by the day and had even opened his own company to become a boss. As he kept smiling, Wu Guangqiang’s eyes welled up. Ma Dongmei took out a handkerchief, dabbed the corners of his eyes, and then her own.
Wu Guangkun, standing nearby, offered his older brother a cigarette. "Big Brother," he said with a chuckle, "it’s a joyous occasion, you should be happy! Our Jun is a real big shot now. From now on, you can just relax and enjoy life. This is what you call... what’s that saying again..."
"The doctor said your brother still can’t smoke. You can smoke it yourself," Ma Dongmei said, smiling as she pushed Wu Guangkun’s hand away. "What your brother is experiencing is ’surviving a great disaster will bring future fortune.’"
Wu Guangkun gave his sister-in-law a thumbs-up. "Yes, yes, yes, that’s the phrase! You’re the educated one, Sister-in-law."
"Wu Guangkun, are you trying to harm my brother-in-law again? Second-hand smoke is even more dangerous, you know!" Ma Siyu stepped forward, snatched the cigarette from Wu Guangkun’s mouth, threw it on the ground, and stamped it out.
"Hey now, you little terror, that cigarette cost more than ten yuan!" Wu Guangkun said, his face etched with pain as he stared at the half-smoked cigarette Ma Siyu had crushed.
"Fine, I’ll pay you back with a whole carton, okay? Now take it and smoke somewhere else," Ma Siyu said with a cheeky grin. As if by magic, she produced a carton of premium cigarettes she’d swiped from Wu Jun’s desk and handed it to Wu Guangkun.
Ma Siyu was the same age as Wu Jun, and Wu Guangkun had watched them both grow up. But Ma Siyu had always been carefree and tomboyish—even more so than Wu Jun. Since she was from the same generation, they were used to joking around without any sense of seniority, so he didn’t take her actions to heart.
"Alright, alright, Siyu’s the best!" Wu Guangkun chuckled as he took the carton, tucked it under his arm, and trotted away happily.
"Brother-in-law, how are you feeling? When did the doctor say you can be discharged? Once you’re out, you and my sister should move in with me to keep me company. Don’t go back to your hometown; just settle down here in the city."
After congratulating Wu Jun on his grand opening, everyone broke off into their own small groups to chat.
At one in the afternoon, two chartered buses brought everyone to the Shimen Grand Hotel. They filled ten tables, with employees of Junheng Trading Co., Ltd. making up more than half of the guests.
By this point, Wu Jun had more than fifty people working under him: over thirty in the warehouse responsible for deliveries and nearly twenty in the office.
Wu Jun carried his glass from table to table, toasting his guests and thanking them for coming. Xu Fei followed close behind, responsible for pouring the drinks. Chen Lin’s gaze tracked the pair, her expression forlorn.
"What’s wrong, Chen Lin? Are you not feeling well?" Dong Lizhu, who was sitting next to her, asked with concern when she noticed her expression.
"No, I’m fine. Thank you for asking, Lizhu." Chen Lin forced a smile, then reached for the bottle of Maotai Wu Jun had provided and poured herself a glass. "Lizhu, thank you for all your care and support. I’d like to propose a toast to you."
With that, Chen Lin downed the liquor in one gulp, immediately choking and breaking into a fit of coughs. Dong Lizhu hurriedly handed her a napkin.
Having worked with her for some time, Dong Lizhu was an experienced woman; of course she could see Chen Lin’s adoration for her grand-nephew. In the entire company, Wu Jun himself was likely the only person who didn’t know Chen Lin liked him.
Xu Fei spent most of her time out of the office on sales runs. When she did show up, she would head straight for Wu Jun’s office after talking business, a fact not lost on the other employees.
Although Xu Fei and Chen Lin had completely different auras—one was perky and adorable, the other quiet and elegant—they were both the kind of stunning beauties who would turn heads on the street.
The gaggle of young women in the office who had been ready to "draw their swords" for him completely gave up after seeing such two powerful rivals.
A drama of two women vying for one man was already unfolding. Any more competitors and it would become the Mount Hua Sword Tournament.
By the time the banquet ended around three in the afternoon, Wu Jun had managed to hold his own through all the toasts thanks to his incredible tolerance for alcohol. Only after seeing off the last of the guests did he finally start to look drunk.
Xu Fei drove Wu Jun and her aunt’s family back to the supermarket.
They had been drinking Maotai at the banquet, and Cui Zhishen, seeing the fine liquor, hadn’t held back either. Seeing he could barely take care of himself, let alone help, Xu Minli sent him upstairs. Then she and Xu Fei together helped the stumbling Wu Jun into the bedroom where Xu Fei slept.
Wu Jun collapsed onto the bed, dead drunk, and began breathing heavily.
"Feifei, can you handle this by yourself?" Xu Minli asked after they had laid Wu Jun down.
She didn’t plan on opening the supermarket today. Wu Jun had drunk so much, and she was worried that the foot traffic from customers would disturb his rest.
"I’ll be fine, Auntie. You should go upstairs and check on my uncle," Xu Fei said, turning to her aunt after taking off Wu Jun’s shoes. "I’ll take care of things here with Jun."
"Alright, I’m heading up then. Call me if you need anything." With that, Xu Minli turned and left. Xu Fei saw her out before locking the supermarket’s main door from the inside.
Returning to the bedroom, she helped Wu Jun off with his jacket. Then, she went to the bathroom, wet a towel, and gently wiped his face, caring for him with meticulous attention.
After getting him settled, Xu Fei sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the side of his face for a long moment. Suddenly, she leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek. SMACK.
After kissing Wu Jun, Xu Fei’s face flushed crimson.
’Am I taking advantage of him?!’
Afraid that Wu Jun might have noticed her little move, she covered her eyes with both hands—a futile attempt to hide—and peeked at his reaction through the gaps between her fingers.