He straightened his open bathrobe, trying to steady his breathing. Then, with slightly trembling fingers, he swiped to answer and put the phone to his ear.
Almost simultaneously, a respectful, even slightly fawning smile appeared on his face—a complete contrast to his expression just moments ago.
He also deliberately made his voice soft and warm.
It was as if the violent man from before had never existed:
"Hello? Big Brother Jiang."
On the other end of the line, Jiang Jianming's voice came through the waves, devoid of any discernible emotion: "Wang Wei, I hope I'm not disturbing your rest?"
"No, no! What time is it? It'll be time for lunch in a bit." Wang Wei gave a forced laugh, doing his best to hide his internal panic.
Seeing the girl below him had stopped crying but was still wiping away tears, Wang Wei felt even more irritated.
He walked to the window and turned his back, lowering his voice. "Big Brother Jiang, you're calling so suddenly... do you have any instructions?"
"I wouldn't call them instructions." Jiang Jianming's tone remained steady, yet it carried an undeniable weight. "A-Wei, how many years have we known each other?"
Wang Wei's heart skipped a beat. This question... was far too unusual.
Wang Wei forced a smile and replied, "Fifteen years. Back then, Little Cheng hadn't even started kindergarten. We were in that rented room in the urban village, drinking half the night away over a plate of peanuts and dreaming about the future... We were so full of passion back then."
Wang Wei deliberately brought up the past, attempting to use their old friendship to soften the atmosphere and also to probe Jiang Jianming's intentions.
"Yes, full of passion," Jiang Jianming repeated softly, his tone unreadable—perhaps nostalgic, perhaps something else. "Things were hard then. I've always remembered the kindness you showed by fronting six months' worth of wages."
"Big Brother Jiang, look at what you're saying!" Wang Wei immediately chimed in, his tone exaggerated. "That was only right! I, Wang Wei, have never regretted working with you!"
"Mhm," Jiang Jianming grunted noncommittally. His tone shifted, cutting into the heart of the matter like a Tibetan glacier—seemingly calm, but actually cold and sharp. "Since that friendship still exists, I'll speak plainly."
Wang Wei's heart instantly leaped into his throat. His fingers tightened around the phone, his knuckles turning white.
Two general managers had suddenly been parachuted into Jiang Cheng, and Wang Wei didn't believe Jiang Jianming was unaware of it.
So, he could somewhat predict what Jiang Jianming was going to say next.
"A-Wei, the recent personnel changes in the company are for the group's next stage of development. The decision Jiang Cheng made is my decision."
Here it comes!
The muscles in Wang Wei's face twitched, and his forced smile became incredibly stiff. He could almost hear the blood rushing to his head.
After his time in office, Jiang Jianming's voice sounded even more deliberate and powerful than before. Every word of this sentence struck Wang Wei's heart like a hammer.
It left him momentarily at a loss for words.
Seeing that Wang Wei didn't respond, Jiang Jianming continued, "You're an old brother I brought up myself. I hope you can recognize the situation and find your proper place. Cooperate well with the new general manager's work, and don't entertain any... thoughts you shouldn't have."
His tone remained calm, yet it carried a condescending warning: "It hasn't been easy for Company Name to get to where it is today. I don't want to see anyone narrow their path, or even... reach a dead end, because of a moment of confusion."
Jiang Jianming spoke the words "dead end" casually, but they sounded like a clap of thunder in Wang Wei's ears!
He understood instantly—Jiang Jianming knew everything!
His secretly prepared plans, his attempts to contact rivals, the dirt he'd gathered... Had it all been exposed?
He subconsciously looked at the girl still trembling in the corner, suddenly feeling that his previous violence and sense of control were laughable and insignificant.
He could spend money to beat and scold others at will, but in front of Jiang Jianming, he still had to act like a dog.
Wang Wei's face grew increasingly ashen, but he feigned a response: "Big... Big Brother Jiang, what do you mean? How could I..."
On the other end of the line, Jiang Jianming didn't seem to need his answer.
He simply issued a final ultimatum, his tone carrying a faint, almost imperceptible sigh, as if saying a final goodbye to the past:
"A-Wei, I've said my piece. The path you choose is up to you..."
With that, without waiting for any further reaction from Wang Wei, the line went dead with a series of beeps.
Wang Wei froze in place, as if all his strength had been drained. The phone slipped from his sweaty hand and hit the carpet with a thud, the screen instantly going dark.
Just like that? After twenty years of hard work, I, Wang Wei, am to be trampled underfoot by some green kid and still have to beg for mercy?
Jiang Jianming... you talk about friendship, but in your heart, you're still looking out for your son!
These venomous thoughts swirled frantically in his mind.
But he was, after all, an old fox who had survived twenty years in the business world; he knew that standing his ground now would be like striking a rock with an egg.
Jiang Jianming's call was a warning, but even more, it was an "announcement."
Telling him that his little tricks were perfectly clear to those above.
He took several deep breaths, his chest heaving violently as he struggled to suppress the resentment and hatred that were nearly bursting from his heart.
The distorted expression on his face slowly receded, replaced by a near-numb calmness.
After bending down to pick up his phone, he didn't hesitate and dialed back immediately.
When the call connected, Wang Wei's voice rang out, carrying a deliberately adjusted, slightly husky and weary respect, and even a perfectly timed sense of "sudden realization."
"Big Brother Jiang. I understand what you said. I truly understand."
His voice carried "sincere" regret: "I was momentarily confused and got stuck in a dead end. I felt... I felt like being suppressed by a young person was a loss of face, and I had this wicked fire in me with nowhere to vent. I've let you down, Big Brother Jiang. I'm sorry."
"Don't worry," Wang Wei's tone became firm, as if he were making a solemn pledge. "The group's overall development is the priority; I understand that! I will definitely find my place and fully cooperate with the new general manager's work. I won't cause any more trouble for you or the group! I was thinking wrongly before, but it won't happen again!"
He spoke flawlessly, his attitude so sincere it was as if he really had been snapped awake by Jiang Jianming's blow.
Jiang Jianming remained silent on the other end for a few seconds before slowly speaking, his tone unreadable as to whether he believed him or not: "It's best that you can think that way. Remember what you said."
"I understand, Big Brother Jiang. You can rest assured," Wang Wei guaranteed repeatedly.
Once he hung up, the "sincerity" and "weariness" on Wang Wei's face vanished without a trace.
His eyes stared gloomily at the darkened phone screen, his lips curling into a cold, mocking arc.
"Cooperate with his work? Heh..." he whispered to himself, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. "If I can't do it openly, can't I do it in the shadows? Jiang Jianming, you've retreated behind the scenes and are traveling all over—how far can your reach really be? Jiang Cheng, kid... we'll see."