Chapter 29 - 25: What’s it Like to Be Carried?

The tone of the WeChat message was extremely polite. It included the contact information for the HR supervisor at Hengtong Group and mentioned that a heads-up had already been given. All Chen Jue had to do was find some time during business hours today to drop by for a chat.

Seeing how invested the Hengtong VP was in getting him on board, Chen Jue let out a dry laugh.

’The power of a big shot’s reputation is really something else,’ he mused. ’Just one chance encounter and I’m already getting a huge boost.’

After sending a few polite words of thanks to Wang Xing on WeChat, Chen Jue rushed back to his rented apartment. He showered, shaved, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and then drove to Hengtong Group.

Hengtong Group was located on Qingchun Road, in the heart of Hang City’s central business district. The West Lake Scenic Area was just a short walk away.

The view was filled with Class-A office buildings with glass curtain walls, the headquarters of various major banks, and a cluster of securities firms.

These financial enterprises were the backbone of any city’s CBD.

To make a good, punctual impression for an interview at such an upscale location, Chen Jue had deliberately spruced himself up, arriving right as business hours began.

He hadn’t expected that as soon as he arrived at Hengtong Group’s HR department and sat down with Supervisor Li, they would only chat for a few minutes about some work-related matters.

He was immediately taken to meet President Luo of the risk control department. After asking a few questions about his professional skills with risk control data and seeing the historical delinquency data from Chen Jue’s work history, President Luo told him he was hired on the spot by Hengtong Group!

The position was a data analyst in the risk control department. While it wasn’t a mid-level management role and he wouldn’t have any subordinates to delegate to, the salary leaped to 20,000 a month. And that didn’t even include social insurance, a housing fund, or a year-end bonus.

Even better, Hengtong Group provided a "talent apartment" for every new employee. They were all standardized, fully furnished one-bedroom, one-living-room units. He could move in with just his suitcase, no longer needing to pay out of pocket for a cramped, partitioned room.

’As expected of a major corporation with foreign backing!’

’The benefits are incredible!’

Chen Jue thought back on all the years he had slaved away at Taisheng Finance.

If his lack of a degree hadn’t stalled his career path, he wouldn’t have had to live such a difficult, hand-to-mouth existence.

...

He filled out his personal information, had his fingerprints scanned, and joined Hengtong Group’s DingTalk.

With his new employee ID card, he went to the logistics office to pick up the smart key for his talent apartment.

The whole onboarding process took up the entire morning.

But since he was newly hired, Chen Jue didn’t have to start work right away.

His new direct supervisor, President Luo, sent a message saying he could wait until next Monday to report for duty. That would be the time to meet his new colleagues and get familiar with the role.

Chen Jue was delighted to hear that.

’I can keep slacking off for a few more days.’

He went out and found a decent Chinese restaurant near West Lake, ordered a few small dishes to celebrate, and then let Jiang Zhe know he’d gotten the job.

"[Awesome]"

"[You know what’s up]"

"[Smirks wickedly]"

Jiang Zhe must have been on his lunch break too, because he replied instantly.

Chen Jue laughed when he saw the familiar three-emoji combo. He sent over the location for the Jingtang Club, then went on a group-buying app, bought two 1,000-yuan electronic vouchers, and transferred them to Jiang Zhe.

Since he’d promised to treat his roommate after everything was settled, Chen Jue had to keep his word.

Without Jiang Zhe’s help, he might have been unemployed for a long time. There was no way he could have found a new job at a company with such a solid background so easily.

...

They bantered on WeChat for a while.

After lunch, Chen Jue took a walk along the shore of West Lake to digest his meal, his full belly sticking out.

Remembering that he owed his new job almost entirely to Zhu Hongbin and President Tang, Chen Jue changed his route and set his GPS for the Hang City International Darts Club.

The club was located in a large sports and business park near the Hang City Sports Hall.

It was a comprehensive complex. Besides the Darts club run by Zhu Hongbin, there was also a cluster of other clubs for activities like badminton, table tennis, fencing, Archery, golf, and outdoor climbing.

As he drove past, Chen Jue even caught a glimpse of a large swimming complex and a soccer field.

The place was huge, and plenty of people came here to get some exercise.

However, since it was during work and school hours, most of the people in the park were either retirees or wealthy individuals arriving and leaving in luxury cars.

Just as he finished parking, Chen Jue spotted a familiar black Mercedes GT-R sports car in a parking space.

A glance at the license plate confirmed it belonged to Coach Lin Ning from Yi Lian Fitness.

’She hangs out here too?’

’What a coincidence.’

A little puzzled, Chen Jue walked into the Darts club.

The club’s interior was stylish and minimalist, and it was about twice the size of the Yi Lian Gym.

It was also equipped with a bistro, a coffee shop, and a reading room—clearly the kind of place wealthy people frequented.

At the front desk, Chen Jue presented Zhu Hongbin’s business card and said he was invited by President Zhu. He also inquired about the membership price—the annual fee was 6,888.

Considering he’d gotten his new job thanks to President Zhu’s influence, Chen Jue scanned the QR code and signed up for a membership without a second thought.

Although he wasn’t a social butterfly, he was the type to remember both favors and slights, and he always kept those who helped him close to his heart.

When the young woman at the front desk saw that Chen Jue wanted a membership, she immediately became much more enthusiastic.

She helped him register his card in the system and then gave him a tour of the club.

When the tour reached the main Darts practice area, Chen Jue spotted Lin Ling from a distance. She had a scorching hot body and a face that was a trendy mix of innocent and sultry.

She was with another beautiful woman with an equally stunning figure, both of them practicing hard at an electronic dartboard.

A few eager young guys and middle-aged men were gathered nearby, occasionally chiming in with a few words. It was hard to tell if they were offering guidance or just trying to chat them up.

In any case, nine times out of ten, they were just a bunch of thirsty guys who were into the two young women’s looks and figures.

Of course, Chen Jue was something of a closet lecher himself, but he wouldn’t be so forward as to just walk up and start hitting on them.

That was just tacky and would leave a bad impression.

As he followed the young woman from the front desk on the tour, he casually walked past them. And just as he’d expected, Lin Ling called out to him.

"Hey!"

"Mr. Chen! You’re at the club too?"

"I knew it! A hidden master like you is bound to show up here to test your skills." Lin Ling put down her Darts, her voice filled with pleasant surprise.

The moment she spoke, Chen Jue felt like a cloth-armored character who had just used an AoE taunt, instantly drawing maximum aggro.

The club members nearby, both young and middle-aged, all whipped their heads around to stare at Chen Jue.

’Oh, great.’

’A bunch of fellow lechers are glaring daggers at me. Are they planning to treat me like a final boss and start a team fight right here and now?’