Chapter 2: Couldn’t Handle It Anymore!
Chapter 2: Couldn’t Handle It Anymore!
Gao Jing had a dream.
He dreamed of crossing a vast sea of stars and landing on a jade-green planet.
Massive mountains stood towering and majestic, countless giant trees reached for the sky, and enormous beasts bigger and fiercer than dinosaurs lived in the endless forests. It made Gao Jing feel like a tiny ant.
Tiny and pitiful!
Just as he tried to find a way out of the thick jungle, filled with fear, a terrifying buzzing sound filled his ears.
Bzzz—
Gao Jing suddenly woke up.
The familiar sight of the cracked ceiling above, the narrow single bed beneath him, and the simple little room of just a dozen square meters made him breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Just a nightmare.
But the buzzing sound was still going on.
Oh no!
Gao Jing rolled over and grabbed his phone from the nightstand. The screen showed 8:47 AM.
He had slept too deeply. The alarm had vibrated and buzzed many times but failed to wake him.
Screwed!
Gao Jing put his hand to his forehead, speechless and choked with frustration.
He was definitely late today. That meant his month’s perfect attendance bonus was gone for sure.
Plus, he’d spent another hundred or two fixing his motorcycle yesterday. The losses were really piling up.
It’s fine, it’s fine.
Gao Jing patted his face, encouraging himself not to get too down.
No matter what, life had to go on.
He rushed out of bed to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and washed his face at top speed, like fighting a battle. Then he hurried off to work.
Even rushing like mad, it was already 9:35 AM when Gao Jing finally arrived at the company.
The receptionist asked curiously, “Gao Jing, why are you late today?”
Gao Jing was usually on time; his attendance record had never shown him late before.
“Overslept.”
Gao Jing gave a brief explanation, punched his time card, and entered the company.
The “Jinhui Trading” employed Gao Jing was medium-sized, with about a hundred employees. Its parent company was quite strong.
Because the salary and benefits were decent, he had stuck it out here for four years.
As soon as he entered the office area, Gao Jing noticed colleagues looking at him with pity and sympathy.
Some even looked gleeful.
The next moment, he saw his direct boss, Liang Xiang, the manager of the Business Department, sitting at his own desk.
“Gao Jing!”
When Liang Xiang saw Gao Jing, he angrily stood up and yelled, “How do you do your job? Last night, Manager Wang from Xinhe called to complain about your terrible attitude! He’s very displeased!”
“And did you get that debt paid? Being late again this morning! Do you even want to work?”
The injury on his right hand still ached dully. Getting yelled at first thing he walked in the door—even Gao Jing, known for his patience, felt anger bubbling up.
He replied steadily, “Manager Liang, the Xinhe Machinery order wasn’t negotiated by me. I shouldn’t be the one chasing that payment. If Manager Wang doesn’t acknowledge me, what can I do?”
As he spoke, Gao Jing glanced at a skinny man sitting nearby.
The man was looking at Gao Jing with ill-concealed satisfaction. When Gao Jing’s eyes swept over him, he sheepishly ducked his head.
This guy was Liang Xiang’s younger cousin, and he was the one who signed the Xinhe Machinery contract.
But when the deal went south, he let Gao Jing take the blame.
Why him??
Liang Xiang was momentarily speechless, then roared even louder, “You are an employee of this company! You should diligently carry out the tasks assigned to you! With your work attitude, no wonder you haven’t had any advancement after years of working!”
Faced with this harsh scolding, Gao Jing clenched his fists.
Since joining Jinhui Trading, he had worked hard, never slacking off. His performance had always been among the top.
Over four years, Gao Jing had not only paid off all his student loans but also settled the debts incurred from his grandfather’s medical treatment, even managing to save a decent sum.
All thanks to his sales commissions.
The reason why his career hadn’t climbed higher? It was a long story.
Actually, Gao Jing had had a chance for promotion half a year ago.
But he hadn’t been willing to offer the “necessary contribution” required by his manager back then. As a result, Liang Xiang, whose results and abilities were inferior to Gao Jing but who dared to flatter shamelessly, was promoted instead.
Liang Xiang, jealous of the capable and favoring his own people, had turned the Business Department into a toxic environment. He had also snatched away several of Gao Jing’s good deals.
Hoping to advance under someone like that? Absolutely impossible!
“Alright!” Gao Jing’s silence made Liang Xiang even bolder. He waved a hand dismissively. “I don’t care how you do it. You must collect that Xinhe debt before the end of the month! Otherwise, I’m docking half your performance bonus for the year!”
Liang Xiang’s cousin beside him wore a triumphant smirk, looking at Gao Jing with undisguised disdain.
So what if he was capable? Without backing or connections, he was just trash!
“Go fuck yourself.” Gao Jing let go of his clenched fists.
“What did you say?” Liang Xiang blinked his small eyes, doubting his hearing.
“I say… GO… FUCK… YOURSELF!” Gao Jing enunciated each word firmly, like cannonballs slamming into Liang Xiang’s face.
The impact left him dazed. “Gao Jing, you…”
“You what? I QUIT!”
Gao Jing took off his company ID badge and slammed it onto the desk.
Couldn’t handle it anymore!
As the words “I quit!” left his mouth, the gloom, indignation, and resentment buried deep inside vanished completely in an instant. A sense of immense relief and clarity washed over him.
The office fell deadly silent. Liang Xiang stood frozen for ages, unable to react. No one had expected Gao Jing, always known for his obedience and hard work, to react so decisively today—flipping the table and leaving outright!
“Get the fuck outta my way!” Gao Jing shoved the stunned Liang Xiang aside, walked to his desk, and started typing his resignation letter.
If this crappy place doesn’t want me, plenty others will. If none want me, then I’ll just run my own damn business!
Liang Xiang stumbled and almost crashed to the floor. His face, already pale and sallow from excess drinking and partying, flushed a sickly dark purple. He looked utterly wretched. He briefly considered trading blows with Gao Jing, but after mentally sizing them up—even figuring he and his cousin couldn’t take Gao Jing one-on-two—he finally left the office seething with impotent rage.
Gao Jing ignored his colleagues’ complicated looks. He quickly wrote his resignation letter and handed it to the HR department.
The resignation process was surprisingly smooth. Liang Xiang, who had just suffered a humiliating defeat, probably couldn’t wait for him to leave. That’s why all the procedures were completed in just one hour.
But his severance pay was gone.
Gao Jing wasn’t surprised by this, nor did he waste energy arguing with the HR department, which was clearly siding with Liang Xiang.
Packing his personal belongings into a cardboard box, he left the company without a backward glance—the company he had worked for four years.
To say there was no regret would be a lie, but Gao Jing felt not a shred of remorse.
Today’s explosion was the inevitable outcome of pressure building over time.
Just as he reached the elevator lobby, one of the elevator doors pinged open.
A large group of people poured out, bustling with activity.
Standing out among the crowd was a tall, fair-skinned young woman with strikingly long legs and lovely features.
She wore an exquisite office suit. Her beauty was striking—she held her head high, revealing her full, elegant neck like a proud swan. She’d score a 9 out of 10.
Gao Jing was a bit surprised.
She was surrounded by several men and women. Gao Jing noticed among them were the General Manager of Jinhui Trading and a Vice President from the parent company.
Both men, usually arrogant and overbearing, were now bowing and scraping like lowly attendants.
Gao Jing silently stepped aside.
He had heard that the parent company over Jinhui Trading had been bought by a large conglomerate.
Judging by the scene, it was likely this suddenly-appearing rich and beautiful young lady had come to inspect.
But this had absolutely nothing to do with Gao Jing.
He had already resigned.
As the young lady passed, her gaze accidentally swept over Gao Jing.
But Gao Jing didn’t notice. His eyes were fixed on the last person to emerge from the elevator—a short, plump woman.
“Gao Jing?”
The plump woman also spotted him. She frowned and walked over. “Why aren’t you working? What are you doing standing here?” Her voice was sharp, her eyes filled with deep disdain.
“Manager Qiao.”
Gao Jing smiled brightly. “Manager Liang Xiang wants to ask you: Did he drop his wallet on your bed?”
She was the former Business Department manager, promoted to the parent company six months ago.
Liang Xiang had taken her vacated position.
Their relationship? Everyone in the Business Department knew. Thirty wolves, forty is tigers? Manager Qiao Luoluo was past fifty. Her husband was away all year, their child in boarding school.
Liang Xiang doesn’t look too well. That was the reason.
Manager Qiao Luoluo never dreamed Gao Jing would expose her secret right here. Instinct took over. “Haven’t seen it,” she blurted out.
The moment the words left her mouth, her face turned ghostly white.
Their exchange was clearly heard by everyone present, including that rich, beautiful young lady.
“Oh, alright then!”
Gao Jing slipped into the elevator just as its doors were starting to close. He hit the button for B1 – the underground parking lot.
He couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Years of suffocating humiliation under Qiao Luoluo and Liang Xiang at Jinhui Trading vanished instantly.
The ocean is vast for the fish to leap; the sky is high for the bird to fly. He should have spread his wings long ago!
A true man! As long as he works hard and endures hardship—he won’t starve! Why stay? Why bother!