C42 Excluding Him from the Company

"Faang Ping, let it go. Give others a chance to save face," Lee Lan said with a smug expression, casting a glance at Zhang Qimo. "Qimo, I really think you ought to find yourself a new partner."

"This guy is just a spineless nobody who loves to boast about nothing. He'll end up completely embarrassing you," Lee Lan added.

"Absolutely. As far as I'm concerned, he's good for nothing except making a fool of himself," Li Zhen chimed in mercilessly, his face beaming with pride.

Zhang Xiufeng and his wife had hoped to brag about their daughter's accomplishments. Their son-in-law was far superior to Zhang Xiufeng's son-in-law!

Zhang Xiufeng and his wife felt utterly unable to argue back, shooting Lin Yin looks of pure resentment.

Beep!

Just then, a remarkable Maserati pulled up, honking its horn. The window rolled down, revealing a middle-aged man with an impressive air about him. He glanced over at Lin Yin, then smiled warmly as he stepped out of the car.

Lin Yin recognized the man; it was Jiang Qi.

Upon seeing Jiang Qi emerge from the Maserati, Faang Ping's face lit up with joy, and he eagerly waved.

"What's this, Faang Ping? Is the owner of this luxury car a friend of yours?" Lee Zhen inquired.

Faang Ping nodded vigorously and approached with a sycophantic grin. "See? My son-in-law's friends are the type who drive high-end cars like this," Lee Zhen boasted. "You might as well stop flaunting your daughter's BMW 5 series from now on."

Lu Yahui and Zhang Xiufeng felt utterly crestfallen. They had planned to boast about their daughter and compare her to Lee Zhen's family, but they ended up thoroughly humiliated.

It was all because Lin Yin was such a disappointment!

The couple glared at Lin Yin with impatience.

"Director Chiang, what brings you here? Are you inspecting the Water Garden development?" Faang Ping asked, sidling up to Jiang Qi with a fawning smile.

Jiang Qi furrowed his brow and gave Faang Ping a once-over. "And you are?"

"Director Chiang, don't you remember me? You even praised me at the last meeting at the headquarters," Faang Ping hurriedly explained. "I'm the manager of the Binhai Street branch—Faang Ping."

"The Binhai Street office? Faang?" Jiang Qi frowned, as if trying to place him.

Marine Real Estate Company had established dozens of branch offices throughout North City, each with its own manager. It was impossible for him to remember every single one of them.

"Oh? Faang?" Jiang Qi said, offering a slight smile.

"Director Chiang, I'm here with my family to check out a new house. Would you like to join us for dinner?" Faang Ping asked cheerfully.

"I'm busy at the moment," replied Jiang Qi with a stern tone.

"Alright then, you must be busy," Faang Ping responded, maintaining a pleasant demeanor.

Jiang Qi approached Lin Yin, his face gradually breaking into a smile.

"Hey, let me introduce you. This is the General Manager of Marine Real Estate Company, Director Chiang," Faang Ping said with enthusiasm. "Director Chiang is a billionaire, no less!"

"Hello, Director Chiang. I've heard so much about you! It's a pleasure to meet you," Li Zhen greeted with a smile, extending his hand for a handshake.

Jiang Qi's face turned cold, and he blatantly ignored Li Zhen's extended hand.

He didn't recognize them, so why should he shake hands?

Li Zhen gave an awkward smile and pretended to wipe sweat from his brow.

Faang Ping glanced at Lin Yin and let out a sneer. "By the way, Director Chiang, someone here claimed to know you today, acting all familiar in front of me. This guy even said you personally assisted him with his house purchase. He clearly didn't stop to consider his own significance."

Faang Ping then turned a cold gaze toward Lin Yin. "Lin Yin, isn't this our company's Director Chiang? You claimed to know him well, right? You said Director Chiang did favors for you?"

"You spineless fool, the nonsense you spouted earlier was an insult to our Director Chiang. I suggest you apologize to Director Chiang immediately!" Faang Ping's voice grew more vigorous as he tried to impress Jiang Qi.

Jiang Qi's expression soured, leaving him at a loss for how to address Lin Yin.

He had only exited his car to greet Lin Yin, a highly valued client, hoping to curry favor with this financial titan and perhaps forge a new friendship.

But Faang Ping's unexpected intrusion had left him unsure of how to proceed with the greeting.

Was Director Lin a pushover? He had over two billion in just one of his bank cards.

Upon seeing Jiang Qi's face turn a shade of iron, Faang Ping couldn't help but gloat, "Lin Yin, why the silence? You had the nerve to disparage Director Chiang earlier, but now you're frightened, aren't you? I'll have you know, Director Chiang is furious. Shouldn't you be apologizing to him sincerely?"

Jiang Qi's forehead bulged with veins. Was he really in a position to offend a financial titan like Lin Yin? Could he endure the wrath of such a figure?

"Shut your mouth!" Jiang Qi snapped, his glare piercing through Faang Ping.

"Director Chiang, what's this about?" Faang Ping was utterly bewildered, unable to grasp the situation, yet he dared not press Director Chiang for answers and obediently clamped his mouth shut.

"Hello, Director Lin," Jiang Qi said, his face breaking into a smile as he greeted Lin Yin.

"Hello," Lin Yin responded with a slight nod.

They heard it correctly, didn't they? Director Chiang was addressing him as Director Lin.

Lee Zhen and Faang Ping's faces twisted with embarrassment; they hadn't anticipated that Lin Yin actually knew Jiang Qi.

"Director Lin, this Faang Ping is a junior manager at our branch office. He's not familiar with the proper etiquette. Please don't take it personally. I'll handle him," Jiang Qi stated earnestly.

Lin Yin remarked coolly, "The caliber of your staff is concerning."

Jiang Qi turned pale, anxiety creeping in. Director Lin was upset, and he was a billionaire at the very least! Although Jiang Qi himself was worth over a hundred million, he couldn't afford to cross Lin Yin.

He had been worried about offending Director Lin before, fearing endless repercussions, and had even made a personal visit to apologize.

"Director Lin, my apologies for this misunderstanding. I implore you not to hold a grudge because of it. Our Marine Real Estate Company prides itself on having a team of high caliber," Jiang Qi pleaded, his forehead slick with sweat.

"Director Chiang, why are you being so courteous to this nobody?" Faang Ping questioned, unable to fathom what made Lin Yin worthy of an apology from Director Chiang.

"Faang Ping, from this moment forward, you will no longer address me as Director Chiang," Jiang Qi said coldly, his gaze fixed on Faang Ping. "Your conduct is a cause for concern. You are doing nothing but dragging our company's reputation through the mud."

"I'm officially notifying you that you're terminated. Effective immediately, you're no longer required to report to the branch office. I'll be calling my secretary shortly to have your name removed from the company's roster," Jiang Qi stated icily.

"Director Chiang? What did I do wrong?" Faang Ping asked in a panic, his forehead slick with sweat.

Jiang Qi regarded Faang Ping with a steely gaze and said firmly, "Save your breath, you're already fired. As the branch manager, you were provided with an Audi A8 by the head office, correct? Hand over the car keys now."

"I also recall that the company granted you exclusive use of an apartment in the Water Garden complex. Hand over those keys to me as well."