Chapter Forty-Five: Expulsion?

"Murong, you asked me out specially—just say what you want to say," Zhang Wei couldn't help but ask as he followed Murong Xuan outside.

"Let's talk in my office," Murong Xuan replied, not wanting her employees to see or overhear her with Zhang Wei and risk stirring up gossip.

"It's your territory, whatever you prefer," Zhang Wei said indifferently.

"Come with me." With that, Murong Xuan led Zhang Wei to her office, closed the door behind them, and had him sit on the guest sofa.

"Judging by your manner, is this going to be a formal interrogation?" Zhang Wei glanced at Murong Xuan seated in her boss's chair and joked.

"Zhang Wei, unless there are special circumstances, I'd prefer you not come to Jingxuan Residence anymore," Murong Xuan ignored his banter and got straight to the point.

"I didn't come on my own today—it was my colleagues who suggested it," Zhang Wei frowned, a bit displeased by Murong Xuan's tone.

"You could've said you had something going on and excused yourself," Murong Xuan retorted.

"But I was the one treating today—what reason could I possibly have for not showing up?" Zhang Wei replied with a cold laugh.

"You could've taken them to another restaurant. There was no need to insist on coming here," Murong Xuan said through clenched teeth.

"Murong Xuan, what are you getting at? Are you treating me like a plague?" Zhang Wei's temper flared. "I went out of my way to pretend to be your boyfriend and help you get rid of Lin Hongwen, and now you act like I'm your enemy. Is this really necessary?"

"I don't see you as an enemy. In fact, I'm grateful for your help. But seeing you in front of me feels... strange," Murong Xuan explained.

"Can't you just treat me as a normal friend? What's so strange about it?" Zhang Wei hesitated, then teased, "Unless you’ve taken a fancy to me and actually have feelings?"

"Please, don't flatter yourself. Your qualifications don't even match Lin Hongwen's. I don't like him, so how could I possibly like you?" Murong Xuan snorted dismissively.

"You could've just said you have no feelings for me. Was it necessary to put me down by comparing me to Lin Hongwen?" Zhang Wei felt unsettled by her comparison.

After a moment's silence, Murong Xuan spoke again, "It's because my employees think you're my boyfriend. I don't want them gossiping, so I'd rather you didn't come to Jingxuan Residence. It's not meant as anything against you."

"If you'd just said that outright, I'd have understood. Was there any need to beat around the bush?" Zhang Wei said, feeling somewhat frustrated. He sighed and promised, "Don't worry, I guarantee I won't come again."

"By the way, the client you introduced to me last time—Fat Zhou—signed a deal with me. I also came to thank you," Zhang Wei, always clear about gratitude and grievances, felt it only proper to mention it since Fat Zhou was Murong Xuan's referral.

"No need to thank me. It was just a small favor. Closing the deal was your own skill," Murong Xuan replied lightly.

"All right, I'll be off then." Zhang Wei had no desire to stay and be glared at, so he said his goodbye, opened the door, and left.

Murong Xuan watched him leave, feeling a twinge of guilt. She knew her words had been harsh, but to draw a clear line and prevent Zhang Wei from harboring illusions, she had to be blunt.

As for Murong Xuan burning bridges, Zhang Wei was indeed dissatisfied. But remembering that Fat Zhou was introduced by her—and he wouldn't have landed the big deal otherwise—helped balance his feelings. Besides, he knew he was just an ordinary man, hardly qualified to play games of affection with a heiress like Murong Xuan. Only by working hard and changing his status could he hope to alter his future.

After their meal at Jingxuan Residence, Zhang Wei and his group went to a nearby karaoke bar, singing until midnight. Everyone drank heavily, and the next day, the entire store staff arrived late for work.

The following days, Zhang Wei was busy with the follow-up on the Xiangjiang Villa deal—inspections, clients, handovers—always by the side, mainly observing and learning, while the process was led by Xu Ming and specialists from headquarters.

To excel in real estate brokerage, the most important thing is being well-informed, so you can get more clients and listings. Thus, news of Zhang Wei closing three deals in a row and earning a million a month didn't stay secret for long. Soon, every agent in the neighborhood knew of this remarkable figure called Zhang Wei.

So many people join the real estate industry mainly because of its huge profits. Zhang Wei, with his monthly seven-figure earnings, became the role model for all agencies, attracting more young people to the field and motivating those already in it to strive harder.

Almost overnight, Zhang Wei became a local celebrity in the neighborhood. Many passing agents would pause to observe him, their eyes filled with admiration, envy, and respect. Especially the female agents, who clustered together, pointing and whispering about Zhang Wei, which he rather enjoyed.

Of course, not every agent admired Zhang Wei, particularly the seasoned veterans with strong business skills. On average, they closed deals every month, with greater experience and abilities than Zhang Wei—just lacking the big clients.

So even after hearing Zhang Wei's story, these veterans merely smiled, neither overly praising nor belittling him. For a broker to make a splash with a big deal wasn't uncommon; it was usually a fleeting moment, soon forgotten among the hundreds of thousands of agents.

With society's constant development, mobility among the populace has increased, making real estate transactions ever more frequent. In the capital alone, there are tens of thousands of agents; nationwide, millions, and tens of millions more working in related fields.

To stand out among millions of brokers, opportunity, skill, and perseverance are all indispensable. Zhang Wei was only just starting out—the road ahead was still very long.

The shrill ringing of a phone broke the silence. Zhang Wei glanced at the screen: "Fat Bro Calling." He quickly answered, "Hello, Fat Bro."

"Zhang Wei, are you busy today?" Fat Zhou asked from the other end.

"Fat Bro, what can I help you with?" Zhang Wei had already completed the Xiangjiang Villa paperwork, even helped Fat Zhou move in, so he wondered what else he might need.

"I do have something I need your help with. If you're not busy, come to my place, and I'll tell you when you get here," Fat Zhou chuckled mysteriously.

"Okay, I'll come over." Zhang Wei thought it over—he had no reliable clients at hand, and wasn't needed at the front desk—so instead of idling at the office, he might as well see what Fat Zhou wanted.

"Xu Ming, Fat Zhou needs me for something. If there's nothing urgent here, I'll head over," Zhang Wei said as Xu Ming happened to step out of his office.

"Go ahead, just fill out the sign-out form," Xu Ming waved, showing no sign of displeasure.

"All right, I'm off," Zhang Wei replied, filled out the sign-out form, and walked out of Zhongtong under the envious gazes of his colleagues.

"Xu Ming, isn't Zhang Wei a bit too free? Late in, early out, always running around, and you don't even rein him in," Guo Bin remarked as Zhang Wei left.

Hearing this, Wang Min, Li Lin, Wang Jianfa, and Wen Fang all perked up, listening intently for Xu Ming's response.

"So, how do you think I should manage him?" Xu Ming replied expressionlessly.

"Simple—dock his pay for every time he's late. After a few times, he'll learn his lesson," Guo Bin said, gesturing emphatically.

"Late arrivals or breaking company rules only dock the base salary, not commission. Even if Zhang Wei is late every day, I can only deduct a little over a thousand from him. Do you think he cares?" Xu Ming countered.

His meaning was clear: commission is earned through personal effort and can't be docked by the company. Zhang Wei's commission this month was over a million—he certainly wouldn't care about a thousand or so in base salary.

"If he doesn't care, then fire him!" Guo Bin raised his hand, making a throat-slashing gesture.

"Hmph, fire him?" Xu Ming sneered, looking at Guo Bin as if he were a fool. "Zhang Wei is our entire district's role model. Before I could fire him, the regional director would fire me!"

"And when Zhang Wei takes my position, the next person to be fired would be you!" With those words, Xu Ming turned and walked back to his office, leaving Guo Bin stunned and speechless.