Chapter 75: Mr. Gu, Everything Has Been Taken Care Of

Xiao Yang let out a whistle, utterly convinced. “Impressive. Other people’s admirers bring them food and drinks. She says she likes me and brings me a knife!”

The crowd exchanged uneasy glances, no one daring to comment. In their eyes, their Brother Xiao was truly something else—to focus on such a detail at a time like this was remarkable.

A few middle-aged women stood nearby, casting accusatory glances at Xiao Yang and the others.

“There was no real harm done, was there? The young lady apologized. Why can’t you just tell the agent not to pursue it?”

“Destroying someone’s future will bring retribution on you.”

Gu Ci looked at them. “So if I stab you and apologize, you’ll forgive me?”

“That… that’s not the same thing!”

“How can a young woman like you be so malicious?”

Their faces flickered between anger and embarrassment. Muttering to themselves, rolling their eyes, they walked away.

But just as they rounded the corner, the manager of the basketball court called after them. “You’re fired. We don’t need you cleaning here anymore.”

The women’s faces changed instantly, and they began to protest indignantly.

“Why, Manager? We’ve always worked hard. How can you just fire us like this!”

“That’s right, Manager. We’ve worked here so long. If nothing else, we’ve put in effort!”

“Treating loyal employees this way—aren’t you worried about your reputation? I’ll tell everyone what kind of company you are!”

“Yes, Manager, we bring you gifts every year. You can’t just turn your back on us!”

This cleaning job was the easiest and best-paid they’d ever had. They’d gone to great lengths to secure it, even bringing the manager gifts to snatch it from a group of young women. How could it just slip away?

The manager, long accustomed to their unreasonable antics, felt a headache coming on. Just then, the man who had been standing silently by his side stepped forward, his manner strictly professional.

“I think you all know very well why the company is letting you go. I only refrained from saying it outright to spare you some dignity. But since you insist—our company doesn’t need cleaners who are lazy, talkative, and dishonest.”

One of the women threw herself to the ground, shrieking and rolling, “Who do you think you are? I have a contract! You can’t fire me!”

The man was unmoved, adjusting his glasses. “Let me introduce myself. I’m here from headquarters. I have authority to dismiss any employee who breaches their contract.”

“If you cooperate, I’ll have accounting pay you for this month. If you make trouble, I’ll involve our legal department. We’ll seek damages for tarnishing the company’s reputation, harming our interests, and stealing from our equipment store.”

“And… if video of your work ends up online, I can’t say what cleaning company would ever hire you again.”

His words drained the color from their faces. Not one dared speak further; all slunk away, defeated.

Seeing this, the manager hurried to flatter the man. “Assistant Shi, no wonder you serve at President Gu’s side. You’re truly impressive, just a few words and—”

But the man addressed as Assistant Shi only looked at the manager icily. “You should write your resignation as well.”

The manager’s face turned ashen.

Having handled the matter, Assistant Shi climbed into a black business vehicle parked outside the court. He took the passenger seat and addressed the man in the back. “President Gu, it’s all taken care of.”

President Gu had happened to visit and witnessed the women’s commotion. After looking into their and the manager’s work records, it was no wonder they lost their jobs.

“Very well. Let’s go,” the man in the back seat replied. Dressed in a tailored suit, his handsome, resolute face was half-shadowed by the shifting light, exuding the calm gravitas of a seasoned man.

Just then, his phone rang. The screen read: “Ms. Su.”

He answered, his voice low and steady. “Hello, Mom?”

“Little sister?” His expression didn’t waver as he listened. “Alright, I understand.”

After hanging up, he absently turned the ring on his thumb and instructed his assistant, “Prepare a gift for me—something a young girl would like.”

“Yes, President Gu,” Assistant Shi replied.

Just then, a photo Ms. Su sent arrived on his messaging app. Seeing the girl’s face in the picture, he suddenly said, “Stop the car.”

…

On the court, Gu Ci glanced at Xiao Yang, whose face was still a bit pale, then looked around. “Where’s your wheelchair?”

Xiao Yang covered his leg with reluctance, lying without missing a beat. “It disappeared.”

Gu Ci remained unmoved, even offering a suggestion. “Then why don’t you crawl back?”

Xiao Yang looked aggrieved and pulled Gu Ci aside, lowering his voice with shameless pleading. “Sister Ci, can’t you lend it to me a few more days? I already stood up in front of my brothers. If I have to go back to bed now, I’ll be humiliated.”

“Oh really…” Gu Ci nodded as if considering, and just as Xiao Yang thought she was relenting, her tone turned cold. “You have two choices: go back in a wheelchair, or in an ambulance.”

Xiao Yang was at a loss, but still shamelessly shook Gu Ci’s arm, whining, “Sister Ci~”

After so long confined to bed, Xiao Yang was nearly going mad. Now that he could finally walk, he was determined not to return to that bed. No matter what, he was set on wearing Gu Ci down.

Huo Shuyue, not wanting to leave the two alone, quietly came over and witnessed this scene. Instantly, she found it rather eye-burning.

She couldn’t help but wonder how she’d ever developed feelings for Xiao Yang.

“No,” Gu Ci replied, her head aching from his pestering. She explained, “The method I used temporarily severed your real sensory control below the knee, allowing your nerves to interface with the full-coverage mechanical limb I brought.”

“So?” Xiao Yang didn’t quite understand, looking to her like a studious child.

“So your leg is currently in a state of numbness. If it stays that way too long, you’ll completely lose sensory and motor control.” Pausing, Gu Ci added, “In layman’s terms, your leg will be useless.”

Of course, she kindly omitted that, with her current technology, “too long” meant over a month.

Xiao Yang broke out in a cold sweat, but still pressed, “Then Sister Ci, if you let me regain control?”

“Sure,” Gu Ci replied offhandedly. “But then your nerves will prioritize your real leg—and your fracture will get even worse.”

Terrified, Xiao Yang could take no more. He shouted, “Where’s my wheelchair? Where is it?”

Gu Ci calmly added, “You might even need an amputation.”

Soon after, Xiao Yang was sitting in his wheelchair, looking both sullen and resigned, and willingly asked Gu Ci to remove the device from his leg.

No one quite knew what Gu Ci did, but Xiao Yang saw the prosthesis—which had seemed fused with his skin—transform into a simple metal block, exactly as it had first appeared. It was nothing short of miraculous.

Gu Ci locked it away in a case and messaged Eric.

Then, right there, she injected Xiao Yang to lift the restriction on his leg, patted his shoulder, and comforted him. “Alright, time to go back to bed.”

Even though he’d expected this, Xiao Yang couldn’t help clutching his chest in grief.

Gu Ci didn’t pay him much heed, for just then, Su Wan called.

Taking the opportunity to say her goodbyes to Xiao Yang and the others, Gu Ci answered as she walked away. “Hello, Auntie?”