C1 Affectionate and Coldhearted

"If you don't show any results by the time I leave today, pack your things and get out. The company isn't here to carry dead weight!"

Liu Hsing, with his boss's furious face etched in his mind, opted for silence. He trudged out of the office, his face etched with gloom. Director Wang of Fangzheng Electric had promised to come in to sign a contract today, yet he was nowhere to be found, not even answering his phone.

Liu Hsing came from a single-parent family. His father had died in a car accident while he was still in his mother's womb. His mother, Dong Chunmei, had raised him on her own. In her youth, she was so beautiful that several wealthy businessmen had wanted to step in as his stepfather, but she had steadfastly refused, fearing her son would be mistreated.

His mother, lacking formal education and any technical skills, could only make ends meet by washing clothes and doing needlework for others in their village. As Liu Hsing grew, so did the expenses, forcing Dong Chunmei to work even harder. She managed to see him through college, but her health collapsed under the strain.

Before she could enjoy the fruits of her labor, she was overwhelmed by medical bills. The doctor explained that her condition was the result of years of physical labor: cervical spondylosis had led to nerve compression, causing severe headaches and episodes of fainting.

On top of that, Dong Chunmei suffered from a myriad of other health issues, all consequences of her relentless toil. Now, she needed nutrient infusions and professional medical care to recover, or she risked falling into a coma or facing even more dire consequences.

With no savings to fall back on, Liu Hsing's meager salary was all they had to scrape by, barely covering the most basic nutrient solutions and hospital fees.

Today marked the end of his three-month probationary period. As his boss had made clear, without any sales achievements, he would be out of a job.

Over the last three months, Liu Hsing hadn't successfully completed a single deal. There were a few that nearly reached the signing stage, but they were abruptly canceled just days before finalization, with no further communication from the clients.

What baffled him even more was that these deals would later materialize for the company, only to be clinched by another salesman named Zhang Qiang.

Liu Hsing, who had been heavily inspired by motivational talks during college, was an incredibly diligent salesman. He was resolved to alter his and his family's destiny through his sales efforts.

His family's circumstances had instilled a resilience in Liu Hsing from a young age. He never shied away from hard work or conceded defeat. His persistence paid off when, after two weeks of relentless effort, Director Wang from Fangzheng Electronics agreed to sign a contract with him for an online promotion worth 100,000 yuan. Based on the standard commission, he stood to earn over 30,000 yuan.

Checking his watch, Liu Hsing realized he was already late for his meeting with Director Wang, his last hope. Securing this deal would save his job and earn him a substantial commission, enabling his mother to get the medical care she needed. Failure to close the deal meant losing his job and the inability to support even his mother's basic medical needs.

Liu Hsing, refusing to accept defeat, tried calling Director Wang again, only to be met with the same silence as before.

Just then, a tall young man with a sneer approached Liu Hsing.

"Hey! Isn't that Liu Hsing, the business department's deadweight? Got chewed out by Director Zheng again? It figures. Someone like you wouldn't see results in three years, let alone three months. If I were you, I'd have packed up and left long ago. How can you even stand to stick around on a base salary?"

Liu Hsing gave the man a brief, indifferent look before heading to his desk. Zhang Qiang was the top performer in their department, earning twenty to thirty thousand a month. However, Liu Hsing felt Zhang's subpar sales techniques and lackluster speech didn't merit such success.

Despite severing ties with several companies, they had all gone on to sign contracts with Zhang Qiang. Liu Hsing had his suspicions that Zhang Qiang was poaching his clients, but without solid proof, he felt powerless to act.

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

The forceful knocking jolted Liu Hsing to attention. He quickly opened the door, his face breaking into a warm, welcoming smile.

"Director Wang! So glad you could make it! Traffic must have been a nightmare, huh?"

"Liu, haha, sorry I'm late."

"No worries at all, you're right on time. Please, come in and take a seat. I've prepared the contract; all it needs is your signature. Regarding the fee, we'll stick to our previous agreement—30% off the original price."

Just then, Zhang Qiang approached, grinning broadly and clutching a stack of freshly printed contracts.

"Director Wang! My apologies for the inconvenience of your trip. Please, let's talk in my office. This place is crowded with all sorts; it's hardly suitable for business discussions."

Zhang Qiang said this with a pointed look at Liu Hsing.

"Okay, let's go to your office," Director Wang responded, giving Liu Hsing a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Liu, I appreciate your efforts! Unfortunately, I won't be partnering with you this time. But let's look forward to future opportunities."

With that, Director Wang followed Zhang Qiang out, their easy camaraderie suggesting a well-established relationship.

Liu Hsing stood there, dumbfounded. What just happened? Director Wang had explicitly agreed to sign with him today, so why did he leave with Zhang Qiang? And how come they seemed so close? Had Zhang Qiang been in cahoots with Director Wang all along? That couldn't be right—if so, there would be no reason for Director Wang to have engaged with both parties. Was Zhang Qiang undermining him behind the scenes?

After investing half a month in courting Director Wang for this deal, Liu Hsing had dedicated nearly every day to the pursuit. To have it snatched away not only meant wasted effort but also left him wondering how he would afford his mother's medical bills.

"Wait!"

The pair halted in their tracks as Zhang Qiang turned, visibly annoyed, to face Liu Hsing.

"Liu Hsing, let's get the contract signed first! Don't delay Director Wang any further."

"Sign the contract? Waste my time? This deal is clearly mine! Why on earth should I sign anything with you?"

Liu Hsing's voice boomed across the room, drawing the attention of all his colleagues in the business team.

"Have you lost your mind? Who said Director Wang is exclusively your client? Beat it, and don't hold me up from signing the contract."

Zhang Qiang spat out the words, then flashed a placating smile at Director Wang before attempting to leave. However, Liu Hsing was not about to let him off the hook so easily.

"You're the one who's out of their mind! Hold it right there! We're going to clear this up today, or neither of us is getting this deal!"

Liu Hsing was relentless. Zhang Qiang, already out of patience, exchanged a few words with Director Wang, who nodded and took his leave, then turned back to Liu Hsing.

"Did I somehow give you the impression that I care about your opinion? The client is right here, ready to sign, and you're babbling on. You want clarity, you fool?"

"Zhang Qiang, have you no shame? I've been on this case with Director Wang for over half a month. It was always me accompanying him until he decided just a few days ago to come to the company and sign with me. How did it suddenly become your deal?"

Zhang Qiang glared at Liu Hsing with utter contempt, as if he were looking at vermin.

"Blame your own stupidity. Offering a 70% discount? Director Wang thinks the kickback is too small, got it? You can't grasp such a simple concept, and yet you call yourself a salesperson? Just get out of here! Don't push me, or you'll have only yourself to blame for my response."

A 70% discount? How did he know about my pricing?

"What the hell, Zhang Qiang, did you sneak a look at my contract?"

It all clicked for Liu Hsing. He had printed the contract two days prior and left it on his desk, complete with all the details—promotional content, pricing, client information, even Director Wang's phone number. Had previous deals been compromised in the same way?

Snooping on a contract and using that information to poach a client was a serious breach of trust among colleagues, an absolute no-go in the company. It was tantamount to theft, a most egregious form of cutthroat competition. It's no wonder that Zhang Qiang, with his subpar business acumen, managed to secure the best results in the company. It was clear now; he had been resorting to these reprehensible tactics all along.

"Peeking? I'm watching openly, you get that? Imbecile. With your smarts, you should just scurry back to the countryside! And you call yourself a salesman. Just so you know, I'm the one who nabbed those last few deals. What are you going to do about it?"

Liu Hsing's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Zhang Qiang, consumed by fury. He could never have imagined a fellow salesman stooping so low with such audacity.

Zhang Qiang had stolen more than just his sales; he had taken the money meant to save his mother's life.

"Zhang Qiang, give me back that deal with Director Wang. That money was for my mother's life-saving treatment. She's in the hospital right now waiting for it. I'm begging you, please give it back."

Liu Hsing was itching to thrash Zhang Qiang, but he knew violence wouldn't solve anything. The commission was what mattered most at this critical moment.

"Don't come here playing the sympathy card with me. What do I care about your life-saving money? If she can't afford her treatment and dies, blame it on having a loser for a son."

"To hell with you! Return my business, my deal! To hell with you! Give me back the money to save my life!"

"Get lost, you worthless trash! Keep it up, and I'll have someone take you out. Do you believe me?"

"What's all this shouting about? In the office, no less! Everyone, to my office now."

Just as Liu Hsing was about to lose control and attack Zhang Qiang, Director Zheng emerged from his office and intervened.

Liu Hsing clung to a sliver of hope that Director Zheng's involvement might offer a chance to salvage the situation. Even if it meant getting only half the commission, it could significantly contribute to his mother's medical costs.

But after both had laid out the whole story, Director Zheng merely pondered for a moment. His decision, however, left Liu Hsing in utter despair.

"Enough. Zhang, go and finalize that contract. Liu Hsing, don't bother coming in tomorrow."

With a dismissive look, Zhang Qiang exited the office. Liu Hsing remained, staring blankly at Director Zheng, his eyes devoid of hope.

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"It was clearly my business, and he took it away using underhanded tactics. Why won't he return the account to me, and instead, he's kicking me out?"

"There's no why. Just pack up your stuff and leave, now!"