Since the security guard had already backed off, Ling Zhenfei certainly had no need to intervene and he turned his gaze toward the source of the voice.
"Little He!" When he saw the colleague with whom he used to be close at the company, He Jiajun, excitedly walking towards him, he immediately smiled at him.
"Zhenfei, long time no see, are you well?"
He Jiajun, with a smile all over his face, ran up in a few quick steps and embraced Ling Zhenfei, their warmth showing the depth of their friendship.
"Well, hanging in there!" Ling Zhenfei replied, maintaining a neutral smile and composure.
"Manager He, you two... know each other?" Seeing the apparent unusual relationship between He Jiajun and Ling Zhenfei, the obstructive security guard was dumbfounded.
"Of course, Zhenfei is my good brother. He used to work at the company too. Are you disrespecting him because you don't want your job anymore?" He Jiajun said sternly, glaring at the security guard.
"I... Manager He, I... I didn't know he was your brother!" The security guard stammered, nearly turning pale as he hurriedly explained.
"Hmph, I'll deal with you later!" He Jiajun glared fiercely at the security guard, then looked outside and asked, "How about it? Has the head office's inspection team not arrived yet?"
"Not... not yet... I've been watching at the door, haven't seen the inspection team come by." The security guard replied timidly, his head bowed, not daring to meet He Jiajun's icy gaze.
"Keep a good watch here, and report immediately once the inspection team arrives! If you mess up, don't blame me for being harsh on you!" He Jiajun said coldly, with his chest puffed out and hands behind his back, he had the air of a manager and his scolding carried a certain gravitas.
"Yes! Yes! Manager He, don't worry, I definitely won't mess up!" The security guard responded meekly, repeatedly agreeing.
After scolding the security guard, He Jiajun put an arm around Ling Zhenfei's shoulder and said proudly, "Let's go, Zhenfei, we shouldn't bother with people who look down on others.
You must have come to see me this time, right? Why didn't you tell me in advance? I've now been promoted to the manager of Sales Department One. Come on, I'll take you to my office."
Although He Jiajun appeared to be extremely close to Ling Zhenfei on the surface, looking like true brothers, Ling Zhenfei knew very well that their relationship was not that harmonious.
When Ling Zhenfei was at the company, he was better than He Jiajun in every aspect of the job, which made He Jiajun envious and often he tattled to the boss about Ling Zhenfei.
The main barrier between them was Yang Zixuan.
He Jiajun was interested in Yang Zixuan and wanted to pursue her, but Yang Zixuan completely ignored him and instead had a special affection for Ling Zhenfei. This made He Jiajun both jealous and resentful towards Ling Zhenfei, constantly looking for opportunities to sabotage him.
Moreover, the last time Fan Tong bullied Yang Zixuan, Ling Zhenfei beat him up badly, which was actually a trap set by He Jiajun. His goal was to get Ling Zhenfei kicked out of the company.
Eventually, Ling Zhenfei was indeed fired by Fan Tong, which delighted He Jiajun immensely; he took this opportunity to ingratiate himself with Fan Tong.
He Jiajun was conniving, always good at currying favor with others.
Even after Fan Tong was fired for reasons unknown, he quickly turned to support the newly appointed leader sent by the headquarters and was given important responsibilities, gradually rising to become the manager of the sales department.
The actions of He Jiajun just now were definitely not to bail Ling Zhenfei out but to show off in front of him, seeing that Ling looked down and out.
Ling Zhenfei could see through Little He's petty scheming and immediately responded with a smile, "Little He, I'm really sorry, but I didn't come here to see you this time. I'm here to discuss something with Zi Xuan. I'll catch up with you later!"
After saying this, Ling Zhenfei turned around and walked into the elevator by himself.
When he heard that Ling Zhenfei was here to see Yang Zixuan, He Jiajun's face immediately darkened with anger. However, he couldn't make a scene right there, so he followed Ling into the elevator, seething.
Yang Zixuan was also now a department manager, and she, along with He Jiajun, worked in the same hall. When Ling arrived, he saw that Yang Zixuan had already excitedly come forward, grasping his hand and saying, "Big Brother Ling, you're here!"
As Yang Zixuan said, since the company was acquired by Lin's, although many new people had been brought in, the old employees were basically still there.
Everyone had always had a good relationship with Ling Zhenfei, so they were very happy to see him back. Each one of them gathered around to chat with him enthusiastically.
Manager He was considered a minor leader in the company and usually held some prestige, but as soon as Ling Zhenfei arrived, his presence was instantly overshadowed. He stood there stunned, seemingly forgotten by everyone.
He Jiajun was already sulking, and now seeing how affectionate Yang Zixuan was with Ling Zhenfei, and how warmly everyone else treated Ling, his face turned even darker with anger.
However, with many other staff members still in the hall, even if he was furious to the point of exploding, he had to hold it in.
"Alright, alright, Zhenfei, I know you wouldn't show up without a reason. Is there something you need our help with?"
Before Ling Zhenfei could exchange a few greetings, He Jiajun, seeing his imposing manner, sneered and came over to stir up trouble, "I know you must be having a tough time now, but don't worry, we're all old colleagues here, fond of old times. If you really are in trouble, I believe everyone will support you."
He Jiajun deliberately raised his voice so that everyone could hear him. He wanted to belittle Ling Zhenfei covertly and humiliate him!
This...
Initially, everyone was quite pleased to see Ling Zhenfei, and during their conversations, they didn't think about the purpose of his visit. Now hearing what He Jiajun said, they all looked at Ling with puzzled eyes.
"Zhenfei, it's been several months since you left the company, right? You must not have found a job yet, right? Ah, but it's not your fault. Given the pressures of employment nowadays, it's normal for those without capabilities to be unable to find jobs."
Seeing this situation, He Jiajun was even more pleased with himself.
His eyes craftily swirling, He Jiajun feigned a sympathetic attitude and said with a smile to Ling Zhenfei, "Zhenfei, I know you must be here to borrow money from Zi Xuan. Ah, but Zi Xuan is just a woman who still has to send money home every month. She doesn't have money to lend you. Tell me how much you need, and I'll lend it to you!"
In front of everyone, He Jiajun thought that his words were humiliating enough for Ling Zhenfei. His eyes looked at Ling as if to say: Ling Zhenfei, you wretched fellow, what are you? Just a loser, what right do you have to compete with He Jiajun for a woman?
With those few words from He Jiajun, it seemed to set a rhythm, causing those present to look at each other awkwardly.