C10 Do You Kowtow First or Eat Shit First?

"Alright, Kin Hu, let him go now!"

With a cold snort, Kin Hu released his grip and settled back onto the couch.

Zhang Qiang hit the ground and erupted into a violent coughing fit. His eyes burned with anger as he glared at Kin Hu, but he remained silent. For a fleeting moment, he had sensed the chilling breath of death.

"Here's what we'll do: I'll call Sister Xiaomin and have her speak to you, okay, Director Zheng?"

"Sister Xiaomin? You mean Tang Xiaomin?"

Director Zheng's mind was reeling. Sister Xiaomin? Could Liu Hsing be related to Tang Xiaomin?

Without acknowledging Director Zheng's astonishment, Liu Hsing dialed Tang Xiaomin's number with a smile.

"Hello! Liu Hsing."

"Sister Xiaomin, are you busy right now?"

"Not at all. What's up?"

Tang Xiaomin's voice was cheerful, and it brought to Liu Hsing's mind her stunning beauty and alluring figure.

"Well, my boss here doesn't believe I've secured Hangda's business, and it's causing me some issues. Could you have a word with him?"

"That's all? No problem at all."

Liu Hsing's lips curled into a smile as he passed the phone to Director Zheng.

Director Zheng eyed the contact name and the memorably exceptional number on the screen, his throat tightening.

"Hello! May I speak with Director Tang?"

Director Zheng was exceedingly courteous. This was a financial deity, and he dared not treat her with anything less than the utmost respect.

"This is Tang Xiaomin. You must be Xing's boss, right?"

Hearing her refer to Liu Hsing so familiarly made Director Zheng break out in a sweat, clearly indicating a special relationship.

"Yes, that's correct. I'm Liu's boss, Zheng is my last name. Director Tang, you've made the right choice with our company. Let me explain..."

"Hold on. I think there's been a misunderstanding, Director Zheng. I'm not even aware of your company's name. I chose Xing, understand?"

Director Zheng was taken aback, not expecting Tang Xiaomin to be so forthright.

"Oh, I see. Rest assured, I'll ensure Liu takes full charge of this matter."

"Good. Now, let Xing take the call."

"Alright, Director Tang, feel free to drop by the office for some tea whenever you're available."

Director Zheng was beaming with joy, barely able to contain his excitement. He was on the verge of securing a major client and a substantial deal. Giving Liu Hsing an approving nod, he passed the phone to him and shot Zhang Qiang a fierce glare.

At that moment, Zhang Qiang was stunned. Director Zheng's words had just confirmed that Liu Hsing wasn't just boasting – he had indeed secured the business from Hangda...

"Sister Xiaomin, thank you."

Somewhere along the line, Tang Xiaomin's voice had warmed when she spoke to Liu Hsing.

"You've done me a huge favor; speaking up for you is the least I can do. By the way, are you free tonight? I'd like to take you out for dinner."

"I'm at your disposal, Sister Xiaomin. See you this evening."

Liu Hsing ended the call with a grin and turned to Zhang Qiang.

"Well? Zhang Qiang, are you going to bow down first, or would you prefer to eat crow?"

"This... This can't be happening, it's absolutely impossible. Boss, that person must be an imposter. Liu Hsing surely set this up with someone else to deceive you. Please don't be fooled!"

"Nonsense! I have Director Tang's phone number right here. How could it be a fake? This is all your fault, you nearly cost the company a business deal worth over a million yuan. Damn it!"

Director Zheng's disdain for Zhang Qiang grew with every passing second, regretting that he had almost taken Zhang Qiang's word for it.

"Liu Hsing, be honest. You're lying to the boss, aren't you? You didn't really land any business from Hangda, did you?"

Zhang Qiang yelled, his voice filled with desperation. He had made a bet and now that he had lost, he was supposed to eat dirt, bow his head in shame, and hand over all his commission to Liu Hsing – a sum that would amount to at least fifty to sixty thousand yuan.

"Zhang Qiang! When you were sneaking a peek at my contract, when you were stealing my client, when you were insulting me, did you ever stop to consider how things might end up? Did you ever think about the predicament you were putting me in?"

Liu Hsing was visibly upset. He had finally gotten his revenge. Zhang Qiang had taken the money he had saved for his mother's life-saving treatment.

"Zhang Qiang, lighten up! You set the terms of the bet and signed the agreement yourself. What more do you want?"

Director Zheng had firmly aligned himself with Liu Hsing. After all, Tang Xiaomin had made it clear that the business wasn't the company's but Liu Hsing's. If he were to upset Liu Hsing, the deal would disappear, along with the profits of over a million yuan. In the face of business and profit, Zhang Qiang's fate was inconsequential. Even if Zhang Qiang were to step outside and be fatally struck by a car, Director Zheng wouldn't blink an eye.

"Lighten up? Lighten up your ass! Why don't you try eating shit and see how 'light' you feel? Are you out of your mind?"

Director Zheng was flabbergasted. Zhang Qiang had the audacity to insult him... and in such a vulgar way...

"Zhang Qiang! Have you lost your mind? I dare you to say that again!"

Director Zheng was furious. In all his years of running the company, he had never encountered an employee who dared to insult him, especially when he was holding back two months of Zhang Qiang's commission.

Zhang Qiang snapped back to reality, realizing he hadn't thought before speaking and had just insulted Director Zheng.

"Boss, I... I didn't mean it like that. I was just caught up in the moment, I..."

"So, do you acknowledge the bet?"

Before Director Zheng could respond, Liu Hsing interjected.

"I... Liu Hsing, we've been colleagues for a long time. I was just being an idiot. Can we just let this go, please?"

"Just let it go? If I had lost the bet, would you let it slide? Would you just forget about it? Do you have any idea that the contract with Director Wang is for the money I need to save my mother's life? Where the hell were you then?"

"Liu Hsing, there's no need to escalate things this far! Think about it, this could end badly for you."

"Oh? Is that a threat?"

No sooner had Liu Hsing finished speaking than Kin Hu materialized in front of Zhang Qiang like a specter and delivered a punch to his abdomen.

"Bang!"

Kin Hu hadn't even used his full strength, but Zhang Qiang still doubled over, curling up like a shrimp and collapsing to the ground in agony.

Director Zheng glanced at the imposing figure of Kin Hu, completely unaware of when he had made his move.

"Liu Hsing, rest assured, I have Zhang Qiang's commission of over 50,000 yuan, and I'm the witness. He can't run off with that money."

Zhang Qiang, with great difficulty, rose from the floor, his eyes bloodshot as he glanced at Liu Hsing and then at Director Zheng, before breaking into a sudden laugh.

"Good, very good. You all just wait."

With those words, Zhang Qiang scrambled out of the company. At Liu Hsing's behest, Kin Hu made no move to stop him.

"Liu, don't worry. I'll also deduct a 10,000 yuan penalty from his commission for you."

"That's only fair. Now, go calculate the money!"

Director Zheng's face softened, as if he had become a different person.

"Alright, just give me a moment!"

Director Zheng went over to the computer and quickly worked out the commission for Liu Hsing.

"There were three orders previously, plus the Fangzheng Electronics order, making a total commission of 56,000 yuan. With the penalty, it comes to 66,000 yuan. Although Fangzheng hasn't made the payment yet, the company will cover it."

Liu Hsing nodded, his gaze filled with contempt as he watched Director Zheng, who had suddenly turned magnanimous. It was as if he had transformed overnight.

"Okay, Director Zheng, as you know, my mother is still in the hospital, and this money..."

"I'll have the accountant transfer it to you right away."

After offering a few insincere words, Director Zheng hurriedly left the office.

"Host, you have completed your first order with a total sales amount of 240,000 yuan. The system commission is 24,000 yuan, and you are rewarded with 50 sales points for completing your first order. Your current sales value is 174 points. Once the sales value reaches 500 points, the system will upgrade to the intermediate level, and the sales assistant mall will be unlocked."

The system's voice snapped Liu Hsing out of his reverie.

System commission? System upgrade? Sales assistant mall?

Damn, this system is incredible! Not only does it give a tenth of the commission on sales orders, but it also offers upgrades and access to a sales assistant mall.

Liu Hsing was overjoyed. To secure the Hangda deal, he had exerted so much effort he had nearly forgotten about the system...

"People always say the sales department is like a grocery store. I wonder if it's the same for a sales assistant in a shopping mall."

"Ding, ding!"

Liu Hsing's phone suddenly chimed with a text message. Reading it, he was over the moon.

"Account ending in 4373: You have transferred 66,000 RMB to the People's (Harmony) account on September 10th at 3:20 PM. Balance: 66,000 RMB."

"Account ending in 4373: You have transferred 24,000 RMB to the People's (Harmony) account on September 10th at 3:21 PM. Balance: 90,000 RMB."

Watching his bank account balance soar from zero to 90,000 RMB, Liu Hsing finally felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He let out a long sigh of relief.

"Now, I don't have to put off treating my mother's illness any longer..."

"Liu, has the money come through?"

Liu Hsing gave a faint nod towards Director Zheng, who was all smiles, and stood up to leave with Kin Hu.

"Hey, Liu, where are you off to? Join us for dinner tonight!"

Without breaking stride, Liu Hsing called back, "Director Zheng, the company and I are square now. There will be no further dealings between us."

Liu Hsing had it all figured out. With the money he now had, he didn't need to subject himself to an unscrupulous boss. He had contacts in every promotional channel, and nobody turns down money offered for such work.

Besides, the market rates for promotion were clear. There was little difference between handling it himself or through the company. By going solo, the company would miss out on a hefty sum, but Hangda's promotion could be improved, and he could pocket more earnings.

Liu Hsing had already stepped out of the company's doors, leaving Director Zheng dumbfounded.

It took a moment for Director Zheng to snap out of it and attempt to follow Liu Hsing, only to be coldly rebuffed by Kin Hu. Kin Hu had no tolerance for those devoid of any sense of honor.

Reaching the entrance of the office building, Liu Hsing clapped Kin Hu on the shoulder.

"Thanks, brother."

"What are you thanking me for? It's my job. You're not thinking of withholding my salary, are you?"

Kin Hu's half-joking remark brought a warm smile to Liu Hsing's face.

"Let's go! I'll take you to confront Liu Jian and get your 200,000 yuan back. You've put your trust in me, so I'll do everything I can to make your life extraordinary!"

"I'm not sure about extraordinary, but you're about to get hurt."

A familiar voice reached their ears. Turning around, they saw four muscular men and the familiar face of Liu Hsing, who couldn't help but smile.

"Zhang Qiang? So, have you made up your mind to eat humble pie? Fine, once you're done groveling, I'll transfer the 10,000 yuan penalty fee to you."

"Go to hell! If you're a real man, follow me. We'll find a secluded spot and settle this. If you're too scared, I'll make sure you get a taste of blood right here."

Zhang Qiang's eyes blazed with fury. From Liu Hsing's tone, it was clear he had pocketed the commission meant for Zhang Qiang. Zhang Qiang was seething with the desire to take Liu Hsing down.

Liu Hsing had intended to spare Zhang Qiang, but he hadn't expected him to seek trouble. Holding back Kin Hu, who was ready to strike, Liu Hsing watched Zhang Qiang with an amused look.

"Lead the way."