Chen Ru had a rough estimate of her business volume for the year. After all, it was already October, and the remaining time wouldn’t see much growth. But the next day, as soon as she arrived at work, someone was waiting in the VIP room, specifically asking to see Manager Chen.
A woman who looked quite wealthy.
And somewhat familiar.
Had she seen her somewhere before?
Chen Ru wasn’t sure.
“You are—”
The woman was very enthusiastic, “I’m Wang Shuang’s mother, Manager Chen. You remember Wang Shuang, don’t you? He and Wen Ying are very close friends!”
Wang Shuang’s mother?
That clicked.
Wang Shuang did resemble this woman quite a bit.
Chen Ru had met Wang Jun. Wang Shuang didn’t look much like Wang Jun, who had a burly, rough appearance, while Wang Shuang was a refined, lanky teenager.
The Wen family had bought two properties in Rongcheng with Wang Jun’s help in securing a discount, and given the friendship between their children, Chen Ru couldn’t possibly be cold to Mrs. Wang.
Chen Ru, with years of work experience, was adept at social interactions. Though unsure why Mrs. Wang had come to the bank, she received her warmly. After some pleasantries, Mrs. Wang got straight to the point.
It turned out Mrs. Wang had a large fixed-term deposit maturing in a few days, currently held at another bank. She hoped to entrust it to Chen Ru for management once it matured.
“They all say keeping money in fixed deposits is foolish now, you’ve got to invest!” Mrs. Wang said.
Chen Ru had suspected as much when meeting Mrs. Wang in the VIP room, so she wasn’t surprised by the revelation.
Mrs. Wang’s large deposit was truly substantial. With that amount, any bank would treat her as a VIP, offering gifts annually as standard practice. Chen Ru was naturally tempted, such a sum could significantly boost her year-end bonus!
But she didn’t agree immediately. Instead, she advised Mrs. Wang, “If you’re entrusting this money to me because of our children’s relationship, I don’t think that’s necessary. Their friendship has nothing to do with adult matters.”
The Qin family had deposited money.
The Li family had deposited money too.
Initially, Chen Ru hadn’t known these big clients were connected to the Qin and Li families. But with more interactions, she’d have to be incredibly dense not to notice. Knowing didn’t change anything, they were clients who brought business, and rejecting them out of some lofty principle would make her a fool no bank would tolerate.
Thanks to these connections, Chen Ru had quickly established herself at the bank, earning her colleagues’ view as a hidden powerhouse.
If she lacked ambition, she could coast on these big clients’ support, her position at the bank untouchable.
But Chen Ru was stubborn and proud. This wasn’t her own strength but others’ deliberate support. She couldn’t shamelessly coast. Instead, their trust made her strive harder to improve herself, a key motivation for her pursuit of further studies and self-betterment.
Now the Wang family was here to deposit money, a huge boost to her performance. Chen Ru was tempted but still refused.
If the Wang family came because of her abilities, she’d welcome it.
But it was clear they were here because Wang Shuang and Wen Ying were friends, to boost her performance. Chen Ru didn’t want to give Mrs. Wang the impression she was money-hungry, their kids were friends, and she didn’t want Wen Ying to feel inferior because of this!
Mrs. Wang wasn’t surprised by Chen Ru’s refusal.
From Wen Ying, she could guess the kind of character Wen Ying’s parents had.
Wen Ying didn’t care for a 4% stake in Tianjiao, so it was entirely expected that Chen Ru would turn down easy performance gains.
The Qin and Li families had discreetly boosted Chen Ru’s performance.
Mrs. Wang could have followed their example, but how would that make her stand out or bind the Wen family closer?
Mrs. Wang chose an unconventional approach!
She not only wanted to boost Chen Ru’s performance but had a way to do so without hurting the Wen family’s pride.
The plan was perfect in every way, except it slightly tarnished her husband Wang Jun’s reputation, but that wasn’t a big deal. As long as it achieved her goal, what was a little sacrifice of her husband’s image? She’d known Li Mengjiao’s mother for years and still didn’t hesitate to poach her friend’s connections!
Facing Chen Ru’s refusal, Mrs. Wang gathered her emotions, instantly getting into character. She scooted closer on the sofa, grabbed Chen Ru’s arm, and sighed, “I have my reasons. We’re both women, I wonder if you can understand.”
Chen Ru found Mrs. Wang a bit overly familiar.
But Mrs. Wang’s grip was strong, and Chen Ru couldn’t just shake her off, she was a VIP client, after all!
Next, Mrs. Wang showed Chen Ru what “overly familiar” really meant. Holding her arm, she began recounting the hardships of starting from nothing with her husband, Wang Jun.
They’d endured every kind of struggle!
Wang Jun, bold and daring, had started as a self-employed businessman early on, earning his first fortune while still young.
But his boldness sometimes led to impulsive decisions, causing their business to rise and fall repeatedly.
In good times, he was surrounded by friends. In bad times, Mrs. Wang had to borrow from her family to help him recover.
“Men, you know, they turn bad when they have money. Sometimes it’s not even their fault, the temptations out there are just too much. Young, beautiful girls throw themselves at him. He might resist once or twice, but after a dozen times, who knows? I’ve stepped back from his business now, staying home to manage the household, care for the elders, and oversee our son’s studies, worried he might go astray… Chen Jie, tell me, if one day he brings home some young vixen and discards me, this old hag, what am I to do?”
Mrs. Wang was no old hag.
She’d just asked Chen Ru’s age and, being half a year younger, promptly called her “Chen Jie.”
This was their first meeting, and such intimate talk was a bit much. Others might have thought Mrs. Wang odd, but Chen Ru didn’t mock her, she could relate!
Mrs. Wang’s situation mirrored what her sister, Chen Li, went through last year.
Both started from nothing, both got rich, both faced young women throwing themselves at their men. The difference was Deng Shangwei’s business wasn’t as big as Wang Jun’s, nor was his wealth as substantial.
If even Deng Shangwei, less wealthy than Wang Jun, faced schemes, how many temptations must Wang Jun encounter?
Chen Ru not only related, she got a bit heated.
“Has it already…”
Mrs. Wang, so well-maintained, an old hag? She was more than a match for the short, stocky Wang Jun!
Mrs. Wang quickly waved her hands, “No, not yet, at least I haven’t caught him. But who knows about the future? If I get kicked out, that’s fine, but I need to secure something for my son. They say a stepmother brings a stepfather. As a mother, I have to plan for my son. Chen Jie, I’m entrusting this money to you because I trust you. This is my safety net!”
At the emotional peak, tears welled in Mrs. Wang’s eyes.
If she hadn’t held back, the acting Mrs. Wang might have burst out laughing.
—*Sure, all our deposits, houses, and shops are in my name, but can I say that?!*
