Rebirth: Daily Face Slaps - Chapter 77

“Sorry, that was a client calling. I need to go back to the office to handle some things later,” Lin Mengting said apologetically to Qin Mei and Qin Dong as she returned to her seat. Her words conveyed the image of a dedicated employee who genuinely upheld the “customer first” principle.

“Do you have to work overtime?” Qin Dong asked instinctively.

“Yes.” Lin Mengting nodded, not intending to discuss the topic of overtime with Qin Dong.

For example, she actually disliked working overtime. Even if the overtime pay was tripled or even sextupled, she would rather let someone else take the overtime slot and stay at home enjoying her solitude.

For another example, the call wasn’t from a client but from Zhang Qiang, inviting her to go shopping over the weekend.

…

“In that case, you should finish your food and go back early,” Qin Mei nodded, then asked seemingly casually, “Tingting, does working after hours at your company count as overtime? Do you get paid extra for it?”

“It does!” Lin Mengting nodded, seemingly not catching the underlying meaning in Qin Mei’s question, and smiled. “Although the overtime pay for us salespeople is lower, it’s better than nothing.”

“That’s true.” Qin Mei nodded in agreement. “Your boss seems quite decent. The training department where Qin Dong works doesn’t offer any overtime pay. But as an employee, you should be happy to have a boss who pays on time; you can’t expect much more than that.”

“Our company’s middle and senior managers also don’t get overtime pay,” Lin Mengting said earnestly. “Sister Mei, although Chinese people value modesty, as you mentioned before, excessive modesty can be akin to arrogance!”

The implication was that Qin Dong enjoyed a supervisor’s treatment in the training department, but Qin Mei always portrayed it as if he didn’t earn much, playing the pitiful role a bit too convincingly.

“How can that be the same?” Qin Mei shook her head, as if she had finally found an opportunity to “vent,” and said, “You don’t know, the training department where Qin Dong works has less than five trainers, including him, but they run twenty classes. Almost every trainer has to manage four to six classes, being busy from morning till night.”

“Qin Dong is a good person, but he’s too honest. When the boss asked him to handle six classes, he didn’t say a word and took on all six. He’s busy from dawn till dusk, hardly having time to drink water, eat, or go to the bathroom. After working hard for a month, his salary is still less than what trainers with four classes earn! What kind of situation is this? Sigh…”

“Sis, these are small matters, there’s no need to burden Tingting with them and make her worry!” Qin Dong coughed lightly, looking disapprovingly at Qin Mei who was rambling on. “A man should stand tall and protect his family. When I’m young, it’s better to work hard, even if the pay is low. In a few years, the experience and skills I’ve gained will be the foundation for my career advancement.”

He paused and looked at Lin Mengting with an expectant and pleading gaze. “Tingting, don’t you think so?”

“Maybe.” Lin Mengting didn’t directly answer Qin Dong’s question but instead changed the subject with a smile. “I’ve often heard people say ‘blood is thicker than water,’ but I never truly understood it. Seeing Sister Mei today, I finally understand the deep meaning behind it. Sister Mei, being your relative must be a very ‘fortunate’ thing.”

Unfortunately, such “fortune” is not something ordinary people can “enjoy”!

After all, relatives who act under the guise of “for your own good” but actually scheme against you are rare outside of scheming wealthy families.

“Tingting, I hope you can also see me as your relative and experience this ‘fortune’.” Qin Mei said with a deep meaning. “In my opinion, Qin Dong is really a great guy. Not only in S City, but even in the whole M City, it’s impossible to find another guy like him who devotes his whole heart to you!”

“Sister Mei, there are some things I really don’t want to repeat a second time.” Lin Mengting immediately picked up her bag, wiped the smile off her face, and looked at Qin Mei with a furrowed brow and a hint of displeasure. “I have things to do, so I have to leave now.”

“Wait, Tingting!” Qin Mei grabbed Lin Mengting’s arm without hesitation. “Today, I want to ask you for a favor.”

Qin Dong quickly picked up the teapot and refilled Lin Mengting’s cup.

“Tingting, it’s like this.” Having built up to this point, Qin Mei wouldn’t let Lin Mengting slip away without stating her true purpose. She discarded the initial roundabout approach and got straight to the point. “Do you have any extra money? Can you lend me some? I’ll pay you back with interest according to the bank’s rate.”

Before Lin Mengting could reply, Qin Mei added, “Don’t worry, I just need the money to tide me over for a while. I’ll repay it within six months to a year at most. If you’re worried we might run away or not acknowledge the debt, I can give you a promissory note.”

So this was a “trap” dinner!

Lin Mengting inwardly scoffed but outwardly showed a well-timed expression of regret. “Sister Mei, I’m sorry, but I’ve spent all my money.”

“I know, young girls like you, even if they have a good job, still have to spend a lot on clothes and appearances, especially working in a foreign company. You can’t dress poorly when meeting clients, so you spend most of your salary on that. The remaining small part goes to social obligations like treating people to meals. Plus, you bought a mobile phone and a cordless phone, and you send money and packages home every month, which costs a lot. Even with high commissions, you wouldn’t have much left. But after six months, you must have saved up ten or twenty thousand, right? Today is the twentieth. Doesn’t your company pay on the last day of the month? There are still ten days left. Can you lend me this month’s salary and bonus? And if possible, can you ask your company to advance you fifty thousand yuan and have them deduct it from your monthly salary and bonus?”

With that, including Lin Mengting’s savings, they could gather seventy thousand yuan.