CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40 THE WEALTHY WOMAN’S HOUSE IS ALSO OUT OF SURPLUS GRAIN!

At the height of the tension, the on-duty store manager walked out. The front desk sales clerk had just realized the situation was tricky, so she called for backup and stood before the manager to report.

The manager on duty today was named Fan Meili. "What’s going on?" she asked with brisk efficiency.

The sales clerk, intimidated by her stern expression, immediately said, "Manager, that man who came in later started a conflict with our customer."

"We are a world-renowned brand, a century-old store. We must prioritize our customers. Just kick out the troublemakers." Fan Meili’s words brooked no argument. "You only know to call me when there’s trouble. Can’t you handle a small problem like this?"

The reprimanded sales clerk was unhappy but didn’t dare to talk back, instead directing her bitterness toward the instigator. "Manager, I’ll go kick the troublemaker out right now."

Fan Meili nodded with satisfaction. That’s more like it. However, when she looked up and saw a familiar face among the two people in the standoff, she cursed inwardly. This is bad. But it was too late.

The sales clerk, having been reprimanded, felt anything but beautiful inside. She was now unleashing her full firepower on him.

"Sir, please leave! Do not cause trouble in our store!"

"Trouble?" Sun Dasheng asked in surprise. He glanced at the sales clerk before him, her face flushed with anger. I haven’t even offended you, so where is all this attitude coming from?

"Heh heh heh..." Li Yifan gloated, looking even more pleased with himself. "Didn’t you hear the staff? You aren’t welcome here. Pay for the damage and then get the hell out."

"Li Yifan, are you ever going to shut up? You’re just a pretty boy. What right do you have to speak here?"

Oh, snap! Xiang Yiren’s words were as sharp as a knife, striking a fatal blow. She was truly impressive when defending her man.

Personal trainer Li Yifan’s face turned so dark it looked like it could drip water. He hated being called a pretty boy more than anything. It was a classic case of: *He* could be one, but no one else was allowed to *say* it.

Seeing her "little baby" get insulted, Zhang Cuixia’s expression soured. She couldn’t hide her embarrassment. Comforting him with a caress on the cheek, she turned to Xiang Yiren. "What Yifan says is what I say."

"I find this very strange. I’m a top VIP at your gym, a valued client who spends hundreds of thousands a year. If your Manager Wang found out one of his employees was siding with an outsider against a major patron, how do you think he would discipline you?" As she spoke, she fondled the large gold thumb ring on her hand, as if it were a symbol of her wealth and noble status.

Xiang Yiren scoffed. Sun Dasheng, the man whose arm she was holding, was her greatest support. She had wanted to quit this front desk job for a long time, only staying because she was afraid of being bored at home. Trying to pressure her with her job? They had completely miscalculated.

"Discipline me? Heh... I was already planning to quit this job that pays a few thousand a month. What can he possibly do to me?" Xiang Yiren shot back defiantly.

Even the sales clerk standing nearby felt a surge of adrenaline. Those words echoed her own thoughts. A job in the service industry was genuinely difficult. You get reprimanded by supervisors and cursed out by customers, forcing you to bottle up your frustration. Then you go home and take it out on your family, leading to constant fights. It was exhausting at work and exhausting at home.

Although she inwardly sided with Xiang Yiren, she had to force herself to say, "You two, please leave now. Don’t cause a scene and affect our business."

"Xiaomei, what are you saying? Everyone who comes to our store is a valued guest. We don’t have a policy of kicking customers out."

Fan Meili’s sudden appearance left the clerk bewildered, and her words made even less sense. Weren’t you the one who just told me to kick out the troublemaker? How did this suddenly become my idea?

A sweet smile bloomed on Fan Meili’s face, her dimples deepening with an overload of charm. She approached gracefully. "Mr. Sun, welcome back. Are you experiencing some kind of trouble?"

Sun Dasheng gave her a faint smile. Isn’t she the saleswoman who helped me when I bought my watch? Promoted to manager already? I remember her being very... enthusiastic. One of the little notes slipped into my pocket was from her. If I recall correctly, she was the one who invited me over to see her cat do backflips.

Seeing the ’whale’ staring at her without saying a word, Fan Meili began to panic. Her promotion to manager hinged entirely on the sale she’d made to him. She absolutely could not afford to offend this God of Wealth.

As a result, the clerk, Xiaomei, became the scapegoat. "Xiaomei, hurry up and apologize to Mr. Sun. He is one of our VIP customers. You were rude just now. Since you’re a new hire, I’ll let it slide with docking this month’s bonus. Any objections?"

Xiaomei’s face fell, and she looked like she was about to cry. Can I object? My entire month’s bonus is gone just because I listened to you. You should have told me he was a VIP! What else could she do? She was a new employee. A single word from the manager could get her fired before her probation was even over. So, holding back tears, she apologized.

"Mr. Sun, I’m so sorry! That was all my fault. You have a big heart, so please don’t take my words seriously. Please don’t hold it against—"

Sun Dasheng raised a hand, cutting her off. "Forget it. This has nothing to do with you." He had no intention of making things difficult for a junior employee. Besides, she hadn’t said anything particularly nasty; she was just doing her job.

Hearing this, Fan Meili dismissed Xiaomei and took over personally. "Mr. Sun, what can I help you find today? Allow me to give you a personal tour."

Good heavens, this sudden eagerness lacked any of the previous restraint she’d shown as a manager. She was being more solicitous than any of the other sales clerks. This change in attitude irritated the other two, who were now being ignored. Did we get the script wrong? We’re the ones here to spend money! Why is a store manager fawning over some loser while leaving actual distinguished guests on the sidelines?

"Have you lost your mind? We’re your valued customers! Is it appropriate to just ignore us like this? Are you blind?" Seeing the wealthy woman growing impatient, Li Yifan quickly tried to prove his worth. As he spoke, he gestured toward Zhang Cuixia, who was dripping with gold and silver.

Fan Meili glanced at them. Is that all? Her entire outfit isn’t even worth a fraction of the price of the watch on his wrist. But as the manager of a prestigious store, her professional facade was impeccable. She simply offered a standard professional smile. "We have many other sales associates available. Whatever you need, I’m sure they can offer you the best recommendations."

The subtext was clear: *You aren’t important enough for my personal attention.*

Zhang Cuixia felt slighted, believing the manager was looking down on her. Her plump hand, laden with gold rings, pointed casually at a glass display case. "I was just about to buy this 200,000-yuan watch for my darling here. Who knew your store was too proud for such a ’small’ sale?"

"You’ve misunderstood, ma’am. All who come here to shop are our respected customers. We would never neglect anyone," Fan Meili replied with an unreadable smile.

Now, that’s more like it. This is the proper attitude—the one I deserve. Zhang Cuixia’s expression was calm and composed, but inwardly, her heart was bleeding. She had only planned on buying a basic model worth a few tens of thousands. This was far beyond her budget. Even the wealthy don’t have endless reserves!