Chapter 237: Chapter 336: For Anitaqing Xiān Pà Yuán + More 20
Shi Yang opened a new channel and promoted a diligent, sweet-talking young man from the company, who was specifically responsible for contacting kindergartens that were closing down, to discuss the specifics of recovering the Naughty Castle, with prices set at scrap metal levels.
Once the items were retrieved, photos were taken and sent to Wang Tianyu and Third Brother, and then stored in the warehouse. Whenever there’s a need to install a second-hand Naughty Castle or if any parts are required, just a phone call to the company, and logistics will send the goods out promptly.
Flipping them for a profit actually turned out to be more lucrative than the installation itself.
In the afternoon, Shi Yang received a message from Mu Guangping at headquarters that the spring ordering fair would be held next week, lasting for three days.
After receiving the notice, Shi Yang immediately called the provincial store.
Qu Chaozong answered the phone. He had been staying at the store watching over sales, handling everything big and small single-handedly while the performance significantly improved.
When Shi Yang called, he was standing on the counter adjusting a light directly above it. The bulb suddenly broke, causing a dark patch in the middle of the store, which looked particularly unsightly.
Qu Chaozong went to the hardware store to buy a bulb, climbed up a ladder, and stretched out his arms to repair it.
Qu Chaozong, standing at 1.78 meters tall, had developed firm muscles from years of installing Naughty Castle units. To easily climb high, he took off his coat, leaving only a round-neck T-shirt and casual pants. Because the ceiling was high, he stood on tiptoe, his thigh immediately forming a strong arc, his movements lifting his shirt slightly, revealing a glimpse of his toned abs. The air seemed to be filled with an intense hormonal scent.
Qu Chaozong wasn’t particularly handsome, but he had an unmistakably masculine aura, and his demeanor was extremely kind. When he smiled, the corners of his mouth arced in a mischievously roguish way, which was particularly endearing.
The maternity store employed all young and pretty girls, even the manager was only 25 or 26 years old. Usually, when everyone gathered together, they affectionately called him Brother Chao.
As Qu Chaozong tilted his head to screw in the bulb, the female store manager stood alongside, smiling as she handed him tools.
The colored light had a latch during disassembly, and Qu Chaozong struggled a bit to align it in the dark. He instructed the store manager below, "Shine the flashlight for me."
The female manager held up an arm to shine the light, but it wasn’t effective from that distance. She ended up climbing onto the counter herself with the help of other staff members.
Qu Chaozong turned his head to look at her with a smile, "Wow, you’re quite nimble."
The female manager stood up fully and then noticed there was nothing to hold onto. She glanced at Qu Chaozong, her pale face blushing slightly, "Brother Chao, can I hold onto you?"
Qu Chaozong cheekily responded, "Sure, hold onto wherever you think looks good."
The female manager pouted playfully, "You’re awful!" She then grabbed the hem of Qu Chaozong’s shirt, her smile shy and somewhat meaningful.
Qu Chaozong focused on changing the bulb and, once done, instructed a staff member nearby, "Turn the switch back on, it’s done."
The female manager praised him, "Wow, Brother Chao, you even know how to do this."
Standing on the ladder, Qu Chaozong turned his head and mischievously bantered, "Not to brag, but with my skills, I could fix anything from airplanes to trains. Next time you run into something like this, just call me, and I’ll have it handled in no time."
The store manager looked up and smiled at him, but just then, the switch was flipped, and the blinding light flooded the store. The sudden brightness caused her to lose balance and she stumbled toward the ladder.
Qu Chaozong reacted swiftly, shifting his position to hold her arm.
The manager fell into Qu Chaozong’s embrace, and there were gasps from several employees.
The female manager clung to Qu Chaozong, visibly alarmed.
Qu Chaozong waited until she was steady, then was about to gently push her away from him when he heard a woman’s voice from the store entrance, "Chaozi!"
The female store manager quickly stood up straight, and Qu Chaozong held the ladder steady as he turned to look, seeing Zhang Xin at the door, holding shopping bags in both hands, gazing over with a half-smile.
In that moment their eyes met, Qu Chaozong inexplicably felt guilty, as if caught in some sneaky act against Zhang Xin.
Zhang Xin curled her lips and gave him a slight smile, "Still not coming down? Trying to show off how tall you are?"
The female manager climbed down from the counter with the help of other staff, and Qu Chaozong descended the ladder.
Zhang Xin was wearing a white furry coat, a dark short skirt, and black thermal stockings that led into high-heeled ankle boots.
Zhang Xin’s gaze swept from Qu Chaozong’s face to the female manager and other female employees, smiling as she greeted them, "Hello, I’m Zhang Xin."
Qu Chaozong put the ladder away into the store’s upstairs warehouse, and upon coming downstairs, he saw Zhang Xin had already mingled effortlessly with the staff, as if ease brought on by spring rain.
Zhang Xin didn’t come empty-handed, she had brought a few boxes of desserts from a popular local brand. Everyone knows that accepting gifts creates a sense of gratitude, and with just a few words, they became familiar with each other.
As Qu Chaozong approached, Zhang Xin was saying cheerfully, "Yes, my Chaozi doesn’t have any other faults, he just loves to joke around. It doesn’t matter if he knows you or not, in no time, he’ll be close as brothers and sisters."
Qu Chaozong was silently signaled through narrowed eyes: all right, that’s enough!
Only then did Zhang Xin relent, and with a sway of her hips, she stood close by Qu Chaozong, without linking arms or holding hips, just cozily standing next to him. Instantly, a series of pink bubbles seemed to surround them, enhanced by her possessive use of "my Chaozi," needing no formal introduction for everyone to understand that this stunning woman in designer clothes was Qu Chaozong’s girlfriend. With the main character present, other nuisances naturally had to make way.
The female manager stood to the side, a brilliant smile on her face, barely concealing the flicker of disappointment in her eyes.
As they walked out of the store, Zhang Xin eagerly bid farewell to everyone, then followed beside Qu Chaozong. Once they were out of sight of the store entrance, Zhang Xin abruptly swerved towards the main street on the other side.
Qu Chaozong quickly took two steps to catch up and pull her back, "Where are you going?"
Zhang Xin shrugged off Qu Chaozong’s hand, "Like you care!"
Qu Chaozong stepped in front of her, blocking her path, "Weren’t you here to see me?"
Zhang Xin raised an eyebrow, "Yeah, I came to see you."
Qu Chaozong asked, "What do you need from me?"
As she looked at him, Zhang Xin noticed that in the weeks they hadn’t seen each other, Qu Chaozong had regained weight on his cheeks and looked much more energetic. It was clear his life was going well, which left a sour taste in her mouth. With or without her, to Qu Chaozong, it seemed there was no difference at all.