Chapter Sixty-Six: The Frog at the Bottom of the Well

Under Zhang Wei’s threat, Murong Xuan ultimately chose to compromise. Not only did she sign the contract for Zhongtong Company once more, she also handed Zhang Wei a brokerage fee of 3,900 yuan directly at the restaurant.

Though the extra 1,900 yuan meant little to Murong Xuan, being so suppressed and threatened by Zhang Wei was something she simply could not swallow. Yet, she had no way to retaliate, leaving her to stew in silent frustration.

Zhang Wei, for his part, paid no mind to Murong Xuan’s resentment. In his words, it was her own fault. After leaving Jingxuan House, he returned straight to the Zhongtong storefront. Xu Ming and the other colleagues were lounging around, chatting idly, while Guo Bin alone was bent over, leafing through his notebook.

“Brother Xu, Murong Xuan’s contract—I had her sign it again, and I brought back the brokerage fee too,” Zhang Wei said as he approached Xu Ming, handing over a brown paper bag.

“Just give the contract and the fee to the assistant. Without the owner’s signature, the contract has no legal effect; it’s just a company formality,” Xu Ming waved his hand and instructed.

“Brother Xu, let me tell you, there’s been a change regarding the brokerage fee—it’s not the 2,000 yuan originally stated in the contract!” Zhang Wei explained.

“A change?” Xu Ming paused, frowning. “Murong Xuan tried to lower the brokerage fee again?”

“The fee has already been halved. If it goes any lower, there’s hardly a point to closing this deal,” Wen Fang sighed.

As company assistant, Wen Fang had some supervisory authority over business matters, and the company had regulations about discounts on brokerage fees. Generally, fees shouldn’t be discounted, as it benefits both the company and the agent. Even if discounts were given, they could never be limitless—a typical discount was 20%, and the lowest allowed was 50%. Any lower, and headquarters might get suspicious.

“Brother Xu, you sending Zhang Wei to collect the fee may have been tough on him. After all, I was the one who signed this deal. I believe if I went to collect the fee, Murong Xuan would pay the full 2,000 yuan according to the contract,” Guo Bin interjected suddenly.

Guo Bin was clever and adept at seizing opportunities, always eager to recommend himself. Knowing he was now in a position to redeem himself, he needed to prove his worth to his colleagues and show he was indispensable to the store.

Zhang Wei felt a vague discomfort at Guo Bin’s words. On the surface, Guo Bin seemed to be excusing him, but in truth, he was subtly implying Zhang Wei lacked ability.

Zhang Wei forced a smile. “Guo Bin, if you’re confident you can collect 2,000 yuan from Murong Xuan, how much do you think I could collect?”

“Heh, don’t pressure yourself. If you can get 1,000 yuan, that’s enough—the rest I’ll handle, no problem!” Guo Bin patted his chest, full of confidence.

Guo Bin believed Murong Xuan deliberately withheld the fee from Zhang Wei because of their conflict, but since he’d built a good rapport with her, he was sure she would pay if he asked.

“Well, Guo Bin, you overestimate me—I didn’t even manage to collect 1,000 yuan. Embarrassing, really.” Zhang Wei patted the brown paper bag and sighed.

“So how much did you collect? I need to know so I can get the rest up to 2,000 yuan,” Guo Bin’s face brightened, chuckling as if no one but him could handle the matter.

“I didn’t count it at the time. It’s all in here—count it yourself,” Zhang Wei said, tossing the bag onto the table as he sat on the sofa beside Xu Ming.

“Don’t worry, Zhang Wei. However much you managed to collect, I’ll make up the rest to reach 2,000 yuan, not a penny less,” Guo Bin assured, radiating confidence.

“Just count it first,” Zhang Wei waved, unable to bear Guo Bin’s self-praise any longer.

“Alright, I’ll count it for you,” Guo Bin replied, opening the bag. He expected the sum to be small and didn’t bother taking the money out. But when he glanced at the thickness of the cash, he froze, clutching the bag in stunned silence.

“You’ve been counting for ages—do you have a number or are you just daydreaming?” Xu Ming, who was quite concerned about the brokerage fee, had hoped for a report. Seeing Guo Bin staring blankly, he wondered if the man had lost his wits.

“Guo Bin, didn’t you hear Brother Xu?” Wang Min stepped forward, nudged Guo Bin’s shoulder, and said, “It’s less than 2,000 yuan—how hard can it be to count? Give it to me!”

With that, Wang Min snatched the bag from Guo Bin, pulled out the contract and the cash. The moment she did, everyone was stunned—the stack of red hundred-yuan bills was at least thirty or forty notes thick.

Wang Min counted the bills carefully, then looked at Zhang Wei in disbelief, pressing her lips together. “3,900 yuan! Zhang Wei actually collected the full commission!”

Normally, collecting the full commission was no surprise, but this case was different. When Guo Bin and Murong Xuan negotiated, they’d agreed on a fee of 2,000 yuan. Clients usually paid less than the agreed amount, never more—no client would foolishly give extra. Yet today, Zhang Wei managed it.

Guo Bin suddenly felt like a clown, having boasted of his abilities and made it seem only he could collect the 2,000 yuan fee, even going so far as to show off to his colleagues. In the end, Zhang Wei had quietly collected the full commission—3,900 yuan, far exceeding the previously agreed fee, highlighting Guo Bin’s inadequacy and making him look like a frog at the bottom of a well.

“Impressive. Well done. Collecting full commission on such a tough deal is harder than signing three new ones yourself!” Xu Ming patted Zhang Wei’s shoulder, encouraging him.

Xu Ming meant every word; with Guo Bin and Murong Xuan already settled on a 2,000 yuan commission, getting her to pay more was incredibly difficult—even Xu Ming himself wouldn’t have had the confidence. Zhang Wei’s silent achievement reflected true professional skill.

Hearing Xu Ming’s high praise, Zhang Wei felt uneasy. The only reason he managed to collect the full commission was by using questionable tactics—reasons that could never be publicly explained and had thoroughly offended Murong Xuan.

“Guo Bin, you see now? That’s ability! Learn well!” Xu Ming turned to Guo Bin, his smile freezing, and sternly admonished, “Don’t think a little skill makes you clever, or that you can get away with shady tricks.”