Financial Independence through Cracked Apps

Chapter 523: Chapter 251: I Have Always Liked President Lin

"I even get employee benefits like half-off rent and all utilities covered. I don’t have to worry about living expenses at all."

"With my current abilities, I can live very well in Modu."

Huh?

Hearing about these benefits from Xu Lei, Zhang Xu was completely stunned.

’Why is it so good?’

’All sorts of subsidies, including a housing allowance? And a monthly salary of over twenty thousand?’

’Is this really a level Leilei could achieve on her own? She must have traded something else for it!’

Anger flared up inside Zhang Xu. With his extremely low emotional intelligence, he immediately blurted out his thoughts.

"Leilei, are you sure you got this job based on your abilities?"

"Why wouldn’t it be?"

Xu Lei retorted, explaining how hard she had worked preparing for days and the difficult two-round interview process she went through to become Lin Shen’s secretary.

But it takes a man to know a man.

Zhang Xu was sure that these so-called interviews were completely unimportant.

’What Lin Shen valued was just Xu Lei’s looks, nothing more!’

Zhang Xu was getting anxious, afraid that Xu Lei was going astray and heading down a dark path.

"Leilei, Lin Shen isn’t interested in your abilities! It’s your looks! He has ulterior motives, that’s why he’s using a high salary to keep you there!"

"Hah."

Xu Lei let out a scornful laugh, her expression filled with coldness.

"President Lin has a gorgeous girlfriend, several times prettier than me, and she’s one of our company’s executives. Do you really think he’d harass me right under her nose?"

"Stop thinking the worst of people, will you? I got this job because of my abilities, not my so-called looks! Are you invalidating me?"

Xu Lei’s words immediately silenced Zhang Xu. After all, dredging up the past is a trump card many women have mastered.

"You’re always like this, you never respect me. Just like last time when I shared my joy about passing the interview, you just poured cold water on me, saying it was just good luck, a coincidence. You think you can get a job like this by ’coincidence’?!"

"Well..."

Rendered speechless by her comeback, Zhang Xu scratched his head and stammered for a while before finally forcing out a few words.

"Don’t you think it’s weird?"

"How is it weird?"

"It’s your first time being a secretary. How could they possibly offer you a monthly salary of over twenty thousand?"

Zhang Xu still couldn’t wrap his head around it.

"Even if you’re very capable, there should at least be a probationary period at the start, right?"

"It just means President Lin treats his employees well."

The moment Lin Shen was mentioned, Xu Lei’s expression softened considerably. Her tone was no longer so sharp, but very gentle.

"Did you know, I heard from many of our company’s employees that their salaries are much higher than before they switched jobs, and the benefits are better too."

"Of course, a large portion of them are followers of President Lin. They wanted to work with him, and that’s why they changed jobs to come here."

"This shows that President Lin has personal Charm and treats his employees well. A boss this good is really rare, you could even say he’s one of a kind."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, he’s the best,"

Hearing his girlfriend praise another man, Zhang Xu was naturally jealous and couldn’t help but mutter.

"I know what’s on a man’s mind."

"Stop having such a big problem with President Lin all the time,"

Xu Lei said impatiently.

"We’re here to talk about you. Are you sure you want to go back home to build your career?"

"Yeah."

Zhang Xu slumped back in the soft chair, looking utterly exhausted.

"The pressure of living in Modu is too much. It’s just endless overtime with no end in sight. I want to go home and rest for a while before deciding anything else."

"I see."

After learning of Zhang Xu’s intentions, Xu Lei spoke softly but without a shred of mercy.

"In that case, let’s break up."

Huh?

The moment he heard Xu Lei mention breaking up, Zhang Xu shot upright. His mind went blank with panic, and a rush of heat flooded his brain, leaving him at a complete loss for words.

"Wait... why?!"

"Because I don’t want a long-distance relationship,"

Xu Lei said firmly.

"I don’t want to go back home with you, and you don’t want to stay in Modu. We’re not on the same path. It’s better for us to separate."

"No!"

’We haven’t even slept together, how can we break up?’

Zhang Xu didn’t dare say what he was really thinking. Instead, he scratched his head and compromised.

"Then I won’t go back home yet, okay?"

"Did you not hear what I just said? We’re not on the same path."

Xu Lei narrowed her eyes, speaking the most merciless words in the softest tone.

"When I first got together with you, I didn’t think you were all that great. I just thought that since you’d been chasing me for so long, I’d give you a chance to prove yourself."

"Now it’s clear we’re not a good fit at all. I don’t like the way you are, and I especially don’t like your indecisive personality."

"Face reality, Zhang Xu. There’s no future for us."

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Seeing Xu Lei’s dead-serious expression, Zhang Xu was clearly getting frantic.

"Were you just pretending before? When you cooked for me and were so good to me? You obviously like me too!"

"That’s just part of being in a relationship. It was what I was supposed to do as the girlfriend."

Xu Lei’s words struck a nerve.

"I was so good to you, but what have you ever done for me?"

"I..."

For a moment, Zhang Xu couldn’t come up with an answer.

It was true. Ever since he’d won Xu Lei over, he hadn’t been as passionate as he was at the beginning.

’But he had at least been considerate and taken care of her in daily life. How could she say he’d done nothing?’

Zhang Xu wanted to argue, but Xu Lei cut him off, her gentle tone laced with a hint of admonishment.

"You should go back home. Life there suits you. After you go back, find a local girlfriend. Your life should be pretty good."

"But..."

’Where am I going to find a girl as pretty as you back home?!’

’Most of the really beautiful women are only in places like Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai, because they have what it takes to stay in a bustling metropolis like this.’

’There are pretty girls back home, but they’ve all been snatched up long ago. Would I even have a chance?’

That’s what Zhang Xu was thinking, but he didn’t dare say any of it to Xu Lei’s face.

So, he could only direct the conflict toward Lin Shen—the third party who was destroying his relationship with Xu Lei!

"Leilei, do you like Lin Shen?"

Zhang Xu’s tone was frantic and exasperated, but more than that, it was filled with insecurity.

He knew he couldn’t compare to Lin Shen in any aspect. Whether it was looks or family background, Lin Shen could leave him in the dust.

But he just couldn’t stomach it.

"You just think I’m not as good as Lin Shen in every way! You’re breaking up with me because you look down on me!"

"You’re the one who said it, not me."

Xu Lei shrugged, her nonchalant expression striking Zhang Xu’s heart like a bolt from the blue. He stared wide-eyed and sank back onto the sofa, his voice full of bitterness and helplessness.

"So you really do think that way..."

"I never said I like President Lin, but you were right about one thing."

Xu Lei felt it was time to be ruthless. Otherwise, she’d never be able to make a clean break with Zhang Xu.

So she stared straight into Zhang Xu’s eyes and said coldly.

"You really are no match for President Lin."

"He’s taller than you, more handsome than you, younger than you, and his body is better than yours by a mile."

"And he has a better sense of style. He knows how to dress to highlight his good looks. That’s not something money can buy—though of course, he’s very rich too. Look!"

Xu Lei held up the MacBook by her feet, showing it off.

"A laptop worth over ten thousand. I could never bring myself to buy one before, but President Lin said he’d give it to me, and he just did."

"While material things aren’t the foundation of love, they are the elastic that keeps it from snapping."

"A relationship without material security will always be tense. The slightest setback will cause it to break."

"So, Zhang Xu, you can’t give me the life I want. It’s right for us to separate."

"Don’t act like you’re some kind of saint!"

Zhang Xu’s temper flared violently.

"You just like Lin Shen! You’re the one who cheated!"

"That’s right."

Seeing that Zhang Xu just wouldn’t listen to a word she said, Xu Lei decided to drop the act and lay all her cards on the table.

"I liked President Lin from the start, back when we were colleagues. You were just a distraction to ease my disappointment after he left."

"Now I’m President Lin’s secretary, one of the people closest to him. Naturally, you’re useless to me now. Understand?"