NTNH Chapter 7: The Big Boss’s Favor┃An Unexpected Client Acquisition

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Firefighter: "……?"

Staff Member: "……?"

Man in Zhongshan Suit: "……?"

For a moment, the atmosphere was awkward, and even Zhang Qingqing, who was hiding in the distance, was completely stunned.

Yu Zhengdu looked at his magical right hand with delight and muttered to himself, "It really has been blessed."

Before the dumbfounded crowd could process what had just happened, the elevator reached the eighteenth floor. As the doors slowly opened, the people who had been trapped for half a day finally saw the light of day again. They stumbled out, crying, laughing, and shouting all at once.

"We're out, finally out…"

"That was terrifying! I almost cried!"

"Ugh, my makeup is completely ruined."

"This elevator is really bizarre—one moment it was freezing, the next it was scorching hot! I was sweating and sneezing like crazy…"

The firefighters quickly removed the tools they had set up outside, while the staff worked to maintain order, fearing any pushing or trampling incidents.

The fire captain and the maintenance department head, who had just been arguing intensely, exchanged bewildered looks. The captain twitched his mouth and asked, "What's wrong with your elevator?"

The maintenance head looked equally puzzled. "I don’t know either! Didn’t you guys fail to open it just now too?"

The captain thought about it and realized that was true. Both men stared at each other, momentarily at a loss for words.

Under the staff’s guidance, all the trapped individuals successfully exited the elevator. However, they were all drenched in sweat, looking utterly disheveled. Many of the women had smudged makeup, while the men had messy hair and even unkempt clothes.

Once everyone was out, the maintenance department announced that they would be closing the elevator for inspection, and it would not be available for use for the rest of the day.

But strangely enough, the elevator, which had just resumed normal function, suddenly refused to close its doors.

The maintenance head was on the verge of losing his mind. If the big boss weren’t present, he might have already started pulling his technicians’ ears. "What the hell is wrong with this elevator? First, it wouldn’t open, and now it won’t close?"

The technician was just as innocent. "We've checked it thoroughly—there’s really nothing wrong!"

The head scolded, "Nothing wrong? If there’s nothing wrong, then why won’t it close?!"

Yu Zhengdu glanced sympathetically at the maintenance head and technician before looking inside the elevator. His expression stiffened.

Inside the now empty elevator, a group of ghostly figures, emanating a pale blue-green aura, were crouching against the walls, clutching their heads in fear. Their backs were pressed against the elevator entrance, effectively blocking the doors from closing.

These ghosts trembled, and if one listened closely, soft whimpers could be heard. One ghost, shivering violently, stammered, "B-Boss Shang, we… we were wrong. Please… p-please don’t eat us!"

Yu Zhengdu: "……"

So, the rumors of the Ghost King devouring ghosts weren’t just circulating within the company—they had made waves across the entire underworld.

Yu Zhengdu turned to look at Shang Que, only to see him gazing at the group of ghosts indifferently. He neither spoke nor showed any expression on his face.

This was Yu Zhengdu’s first business trip with his boss, and he wasn’t very experienced. Faced with this situation, he hesitated, unsure of what to do. After thinking for a moment, he took advantage of the surrounding crowd’s lack of attention and whispered to the ghosts, "Step out of the elevator first. Stop blocking the repairs."

The ghosts didn’t dare disobey. At his words, they immediately stood up, lined up in an orderly fashion, and walked out, standing obediently against the wall with their heads bowed.

Yu Zhengdu was pleased. "Very disciplined."

Shang Que remarked coolly, "They’ve been arrested so many times when they were alive. Of course, they’re experienced."

Yu Zhengdu: "……"

With the ghosts out of the way, the elevator doors slowly closed.

The maintenance head, who had just finished scolding his technician, was about to explain the situation to the man in the Zhongshan suit when, mid-sentence, he saw the elevator doors close on their own—right in front of everyone.

The elevator began functioning normally again.

Maintenance Head: "……???"

He swallowed hard and turned to the man in the Zhongshan suit. "Boss, I’ll conduct a thorough inspection. I promise this won’t happen again."

The man in the Zhongshan suit only responded with a faint "Hmm," but his gaze remained fixed on Yu Zhengdu. While others may not have noticed, he had been watching the young man ever since he pressed the elevator button. He clearly saw that the doors had only closed after the young man muttered something.

He gently rubbed his fingertip, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.

Meanwhile, the entire administrative department of Shuangjiao Technology had mobilized to receive and comfort the recently rescued elevator occupants. Among them, one group received special attention—it was the delegation from New Star Technology, led by Hou Guangzong.

The leader of New Star Technology’s group was Hou Guangzong’s superior, Zhou Ke. The person responsible for hosting them on behalf of Shuangjiao Technology was Manager Chen. To show his sincerity, Manager Chen had personally gone downstairs to greet them—only to end up trapped in the elevator with them.

Manager Chen has some status in the company. Feeling that he lost face in front of a client, he is now venting his frustration at the administrative staff.

Hou Guangzong, whose half-pound of hair gel was ruined by the crowd, is also quite annoyed. But as an intern, he knows better than to show his displeasure. He simply follows along, watching as Manager Chen and Zhou Ke express their dissatisfaction.

However, seeing how seriously and respectfully the administrative department is treating them, he can tell that their company, New Star, is being given considerable attention. This realization fills him with some pride.

From a distance, Zhang Qingqing finally spots Hou Guangzong in the crowd. She quickly dashes over and calls out, "Guangzong, are you okay?"

Hou Guangzong is surprised to see her. "Qingqing? What are you doing here?"

Zhang Qingqing explains, "Zhengdu heard you were stuck in the elevator and rushed over to check on you. I brought him here."

Hou Guangzong's expression turns strange. "Yu Zhengdu? He came to see me?"

Zhang Qingqing nods enthusiastically, praising their friendship. "Yes! He’s so loyal. He was at work but still made time to come. You must be really touched, right?"

Having been stuck in an elevator for so long, Hou Guangzong is already in a foul mood. He can't hold back his frustration and blurts out, "Is he crazy? He came just to see me embarrassed?"

Zhang Qingqing frowns. "Why would you say that?"

Hou Guangzong sneers, "Seriously, he must be thrilled to hear I was trapped in an elevator. So much so that he rushed over. Is his company that idle?"

Zhang Qingqing, now irritated, retorts, "Guangzong, that's too much! Zhengdu genuinely cares about you!"

Hou Guangzong rolls his eyes. "He cares about me? Ask him yourself—do we even have that kind of relationship?"

A voice suddenly cuts in, tinged with amusement. "Oh? So we don’t have that kind of relationship?"

Yu Zhengdu steps forward, smirking. "Funny, I thought you cared about me. You always ask about my job in the group chat and worry about my career prospects."

Zhang Qingqing joins in, outraged. "Exactly! That was really mean!"

Hou Guangzong: "……"

He never expected Yu Zhengdu to throw his own words back at him, and he has no way to argue against it. His face turns red with frustration.

Since they're all classmates, Zhang Qingqing tries to smooth things over. "Guangzong, you should really thank Zhengdu today. If not for him, who knows when you would’ve gotten out of that elevator?"

Hou Guangzong lets out a sharp laugh, dripping with sarcasm. "Oh? What, did he personally fix the elevator? Has he switched careers from coding to maintenance?"

As soon as he finishes speaking, a middle-aged man in a Zhongshan suit approaches, nods at Yu Zhengdu, and extends a hand. "Young man, thank you for helping us open the elevator door."

Yu Zhengdu shakes his hand and responds with a polite smile. "It was nothing."

Hou Guangzong: "……???"

At that moment, Manager Chen, who had been throwing his weight around with the administrative staff earlier, suddenly rushes over. With an ingratiating bow, he says, "President Wei! I was so dazed from being trapped in the elevator that I didn’t even notice you."

President Wei nods and glances at Manager Chen and the New Star team. In a courteous tone, he says, "You’ve all had a tough time. Our administrative department will send over a small gift as an apology."

Hou Guangzong’s superior, Zhou Ke, immediately steps forward to express goodwill. "Not at all, not at all. We didn’t expect President Wei to be involved as well."

It is only now that Hou Guangzong realizes this middle-aged man is likely Wei Xiao, the big boss of Shuangjiao Technology.

Since Wei Xiao and Zhou Ke are not on the same level, and because Manager Chen is their primary point of contact, Wei Xiao simply exchanges a few pleasantries before turning back to Yu Zhengdu. "Young man, we’re really grateful for your help just now. If you don’t mind, why don’t we have a chat at the office?"

Yu Zhengdu, confused, says, "Oh, there’s really no need. It was just a small effort, nothing worth discussing."

Wei Xiao raises an eyebrow. "Being able to open the elevator door isn’t just ‘a small effort.’ You deserve a reward."

The moment Yu Zhengdu hears the words "reward money," he immediately swallows back whatever polite refusal he was about to say. Instead, he grabs Shang Que and pushes him forward. "This is our boss. Transfer the money to him."

Hou Guangzong, who had been fuming over Wei Xiao’s courteous treatment of Yu Zhengdu, scoffs at this display. Such a small company, so desperate for money—no class at all!

Shang Que, however, remains composed. His demeanor is poised and elegant, as if he is untouched by worldly concerns. He replies, "There’s no need for—"

Before he can finish, Yu Zhengdu pinches his arm and murmurs in a low voice, "Development budget, development budget, development budget…"

Shang Que, though pinched, maintains the same calm expression and even the exact curve of his smile. Only his words take an abrupt turn: "How much are you offering?"

Wei Xiao, surprised that they’re actually from the same company, looks at Shang Que and asks, "What kind of business does your company do?"

Yu Zhengdu straightens up and confidently replies, "We’re in the health management industry."

He nudges Shang Que. "Boss, business card."

Shang Que, ever cooperative, pulls out his phone, opens his WeChat contact info, and presents it to Wei Xiao. "Would you like to scan it?"

Wei Xiao: "……"

The entire New Star team, including Manager Chen: "……"

Hou Guangzong sneers—truly disgraceful behavior!

But then, Wei Xiao calmly takes out his phone and scans Shang Que’s WeChat QR code. Not only that, but he also turns to Yu Zhengdu and says, "Young man, let me scan yours as well."

Hou Guangzong: "………………???"

____

Author’s note:

Zhengdu: Hou Guangzong has hurt my feelings! (Trying not to laugh.)

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