Chapter 235: The Road is Long—Don’t Be Reckless
Seeing Lin Zifeng stepping toward Zhang Huo, who was lying on the ground groaning in pain, Zhang Xixi instinctively felt a surge of pity. She quickly stepped forward to stop Lin Zifeng’s next move, afraid that he might really do something outrageous.
After all, she was quite clear about the character of this strange man from the two past incidents between them. Not to say he was shameless, but she always felt there was something odd about him.
The first encounter was when he peeked up her skirt in the elevator.
The second encounter also took place in the elevator, where her blouse got caught on the button of his security uniform, and he proceeded to strip Zhang Xixi of her blouse right then and there.
Now that she thought about it, Zhang Xixi felt a blush creeping up her face. When her assistant informed her that a man named ’Lin Zifeng’ was waiting outside, Zhang Xixi’s fair and smooth face flushed with nervous excitement.
It was because President Nangong had briefed her a few days earlier that a new member would be joining the Finance Department from the security sector. At that time, Zhang Xixi was uncertain who this person would be, but now upon meeting him, it indeed turned out to be him.
Zhang Xixi was an extremely smart woman, only she had always kept a low profile. When it came to the so-called interpersonal relationships within the company, including flattery and pulling strings, no one was clearer about them than her. She usually kept silent and was not someone easy to bully; in fact, such a person was often the hardest to deal with.
In Zhang Xixi’s impression, Nangong Bing almost embodied the archetype of a corporate queen, with a combination of talent, wisdom, and beauty, handling everything impeccably with fierce and firm tactics that left the whole Tianyu Group submitting to her.
But this time, Zhang Xixi was somewhat puzzled by Nangong Bing’s intentions.
Why would President Nangong let somebody who just loafed around uselessly come to the Finance Department, a place notorious for its abundance of perks that could drive people wild?
This approach didn’t seem to fit with President Nangong Bing’s usual style of doing things.
Zhang Xixi’s meticulous observation and intuition told her that her superior was definitely thinking farther and broader, having the foresight to pull a mere security guard into the Finance Department, a business move so out of the ordinary that perhaps only Nangong Bing could have conceived it.
Furthermore, according to reliable gossip, it was said that there seemed to be some familial relation between Lin Zifeng and the Nangong family, as if their families were related in the past...
However, the rumors were conflicting, and no one could verify their relationship.
Perhaps Nangong Bing had anticipated all this controversy long ago.
The presence of Zhang Xixi immediately drew all the onlookers’ attention toward her, all with faces as shocked as Zhang Xixi’s.
"What... is going on here?"
Zhang Xixi simply couldn’t imagine that Lin Zifeng would openly injure someone within the company! Even if there was some kind of irreconcilable enmity between them, it shouldn’t have escalated to this point.
What’s more, there was neither grudge nor hatred between them in the past; was there really a need for him to be so ruthless?
"Director... Director Zhang..."
Zhang Huo clung to Zhang Xixi as if grabbing a lifeline, crawling and rolling over to her side while his mouth, bleeding, let out muffled cries.
His demeanor was the epitome of grievance—like an arrogant dog that strutted outside only to be soundly thrashed and came back with its tail between its legs, begging for pity.
Inside the office building’s open plan lobby, dozens of astonished gazes converged on Lin Zifeng. They all wondered how he would resolve the mess he had caused and were curious to see how Zhang Xixi would handle the melodramatic conflict between them.
Of course, for many, the whole scene was nothing more than a spectacle to enjoy.
Everyone knew that Zhang Huo was a bully who would eventually get his comeuppance, so they were all prepared for this moment.
Life is long; don’t be arrogant, for who knows who will outshine whom in the future.
"What... what is this...?"
Zhang Xixi was naturally reticent and not good at mediating, having kept to her own ever since joining Tianyu Group. Nothing major had ever happened to her there, and even her initial interview with the company was personally reviewed by Nangong Bing.
Within just one year, Zhang Xixi had managed the Finance Department impeccably and achieved significant success in her work area.
It was this attitude of respectful obedience that truly won Nangong Bing’s admiration. Thus, throughout the year, almost the entire company knew about her special relationship with Nangong Bing, and no one dared to be presumptuous around her.
But today was different.
The always cocky Zhang Huo from the Finance Department had finally met his match. Facing Lin Zifeng’s hooligan tactics, he had no ability to fight back. Now that Zhang Xixi had stumbled upon the situation, she didn’t know how to handle it. After all, she was the quintessential good girl of the company, silent at work, never meddling in rumors. It was her unassuming work attitude that had led to her achievements.
"I hit him," Lin Zifeng stepped forward unabashedly to explain.
The onlooking employees all inwardly gasped for Lin Zifeng—they hadn’t expected him to be so bold and unashamed even after injuring someone.
"You... why did you hit him?"
Zhang Xixi immediately felt flustered. When she looked directly into Lin Zifeng’s bright, spirited eyes, her heart faltered.
The brief amorous encounter they had shared made Zhang Xixi involuntarily blush.
Facing the man who had kept her up for nights, Zhang Xixi momentarily didn’t know what to do. Being naturally timid, she had never encountered such violence before. Her usual serious work demeanor now made her pure, fair face look all the more embarrassed and indecisive.
"Director Zhang, it’s this security guard. He not only neglected his duty to stand at his post but also came to our Finance Department to flirt and cause trouble, and after I kindly advised him, he resorted to hitting me. Director Zhang, you must seek justice for me,"
Zhang Huo covered his mouth and complained incessantly about his helplessness. He knew if he could beat Lin Zifeng, there would be no point discussing any kind of logic—he would probably have already given Lin Zifeng a good thrashing.
Zhang Xixi’s pretty face turned red under the scrutiny of all eyes. It was clear she was not used to being the center of attention. However, as the most influential person in the Finance Department, she had to step up and say something in such a situation, even if it was just perfunctory lip service.
But things don’t always go as planned, and despite Zhang Xixi rallying her focus, she was still unable to exhibit the queenly demeanor of Nangong Bing—the kind of absolute self-control in business and workplace, where everything was under her dominion.