Chapter 464 - 234: Promotion and a Raise, a New Peak in Life
Chapter 464: Chapter 234: Promotion and a Raise, a New Peak in Life
"Alright, thanks, Brother Qi," Hu Haodong said, thanking him profusely.
After hanging up, Yang Qi put away his cleaning tools, changed out of his work uniform, and headed toward the employee dorms.
When he got to Chen Ze’s room, the door was ajar.
Yang Qi knocked and pushed the door open.
The room was a little messy. Chen Ze was squatting on the floor, stuffing clothes and a few personal items into a worn-out suitcase.
Hearing the commotion, he looked up. When he saw it was Yang Qi, his face showed none of the dejection, resentment, or despair one might expect. Instead, he was calm, even managing a smile much like his usual one.
"You’re here, Brother Qi."
Yang Qi stepped into the room, closing the door behind him as he sized up Chen Ze.
He had a few bruises on his face and a cut on the corner of his lip, but his spirits seemed fine.
"Never mind the packing. First, tell me what happened," Yang Qi said, pulling a chair over and sitting down.
Chen Ze stood up, dusted off his hands, and sat on the edge of the bed. His tone was so calm, you’d think he was talking about someone else.
"It’s not a big deal."
"Yesterday was my day off, and I went to help out at a barbecue stand run by an old army buddy."
"He and his wife opened the little stand after he got out of the army. Just as they were closing up, five drunk thugs showed up. They ate, refused to pay, and started harassing my buddy’s wife."
"My buddy got pissed and argued with them, but they just started flipping tables and smashing things. In the middle of the shoving, his wife’s arm got knocked against the side of the grill. A huge patch of her skin turned red and started to blister."
Chen Ze’s eyes turned cold for an instant as he spoke, but his tone remained even. "My buddy saw red. He grabbed a beer bottle and was about to charge in. But I know his family’s situation. His dad just had surgery last month and they’re in debt, his mom’s not well, and the whole family relies on that barbecue stand."
"If he’d fought them and someone got seriously hurt, he’d be facing fines and jail time. His family would be ruined. That’s why I stepped in first."
He paused, looked at Yang Qi, and said seriously, "I didn’t go for any killing blows. I just aimed for their joints and weak spots, trying to scare them off."
"But one of the guys was completely wasted. He couldn’t even stand straight. When I shoved him away, he lost his balance and cracked his head on the curb. It bled a little."
"Then the police came and took everyone in. The barbecue stand has security cameras, so there’s proof they started it and that I didn’t use excessive force."
"But since I did get physical and someone on their side got hurt, I guess it counts as excessive self-defense. It’s on my record now. The Zoo called me in for a talk today. They said it reflected poorly on them and that they were firing me."
"My uncle tried to pull some strings, but it was no use. I get it. A workplace has its rules."
Chen Ze sounded very matter-of-fact, with no complaints about his employer or excessive excuses for himself.
His voice only faltered slightly when he mentioned his buddy’s family situation.
After listening, Yang Qi understood.
It was just as he’d suspected.
Chen Ze was a loyal guy—the kind who would put his neck on the line for a friend at a critical moment, even knowing it would cost him his job.
That kind of fiery spirit was an honor in the military, but in a public institution that valued rules and stability, it was just a liability.
As for Chen Ze’s uncle at the Municipal Forestry Bureau, he was just a minor deputy section chief. That little bit of influence was useless in the face of such a black mark on his record.
"Do you regret it?" Yang Qi asked.
"What’s there to regret?"
Chen Ze grinned. "I just feel bad for my parents. But you can always find another job; you can’t lose your conscience. My army buddy saved my life once. I couldn’t just stand by and watch his family get ruined."
Yang Qi nodded. "So what’s the plan now?"
"What else? Find a job, of course."
Chen Ze shrugged. "I have my veteran’s discharge papers, my army training, and a few years of experience as a security guard. Finding a job in security or as a bodyguard shouldn’t be too hard."
"Isn’t Xianlai hiring? They give preference to veterans. A guy like me should have no problem getting a job there as a security guard."
"That’s true."
Yang Qi nodded in agreement.
Chen Ze had military experience, good skills, and a strong sense of discipline. Plus, he was already familiar with a zoo environment.
He was more than qualified to be a security guard at Xianlai.
The planned area for Xianlai was massive—over 3,500 mu on land alone, plus the surrounding mountain forests and gentle slopes. The security pressure was considerable.
The security force would have to be split into several squads for round-the-clock patrols.
With Chen Ze’s skills and experience, he was more than capable of being a squad leader, perhaps even taking charge of security for an entire sector in the future.
...
When Chen Ze went to apply at Xianlai, Yang Qi didn’t put in a special word for him with Pang Yunrui.
For one, he was confident that with Chen Ze’s skills and character, he would have no problem passing Xianlai’s standard interviews and evaluations.
For another, Yang Qi also wanted to see the caliber of the newly established human resources team at Xianlai.
As it turned out, his judgment was sound.
「The next evening.」
Yang Qi had just finished dinner and washed up. When he picked up his phone, he saw that the private group chat Chen Ze had created was blowing up with messages scrolling by at lightning speed.
He opened it to find Chen Ze spamming the chat with photos.
In the first picture, Chen Ze was wearing a brand-new, tailored security uniform with a "Xianlai Wild Animal World" patch on the sleeve and epaulets on the shoulders. He stood before the magnificent main gate of the Xianlai Zoo, chest puffed out, head held high, grinning from ear to ear.
With the classical upturned eaves and the imposing gatehouse in the background, all bathed in the light of the setting sun, he looked incredibly sharp.
The second photo was of his new employee ID card. It clearly showed Chen Ze’s name, employee ID number, department (Security Department), position (Squad Leader), and the Xianlai logo.
The third photo was of several neatly folded new uniforms, a walkie-talkie, a high-powered flashlight, a logbook, and other issued gear.
And finally, there was Chen Ze’s triumphant message.
[Chen Ze: HAHA, boys, reporting some good news! It was a blessing in disguise! I went to the Xianlai interview today and passed with flying colors. Not only is the pay more than double what I made at Donghua, but they made me a squad leader right off the bat, with ten people under me!]