Chapter 4824 — Betrayal?
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Heh, from the Waihu Branch in the South Continent to the Morning Star Branch in the East Continent—Manager Chai, that's quite a promotion for you," Wei Zhao said, giving him a meaningful look.
A manager's post might look the same on paper, but one was in the South Continent and one in the East Continent, and the difference in power and status between the two was like heaven and earth. Everyone knew the East Continent branches had always been the most sought-after fat posts, while the chaotic South Continent seas were nothing but hard, thankless drudgery—the cream to be skimmed from the two was not even on the same scale.
Back then, Wei Zhaotong had gone from being a mere deputy manager of a branch here to full manager of the Waihu Branch in the South Continent—and even that had counted as a promotion in name but a demotion in fact. It had soured him thoroughly. From that alone, one could well imagine how vast the gulf between the two really was.
"You flatter me, Vice Chairman. All of this is thanks to you. If not for your sake, why would we have joined forces with the Qingtian Escort Agency so early on? And if not for that, how could we possibly have become the largest partner of the new overlord of the South Continent escort trade?" Chai Laoshi poured tea for Wei Zhao with eager courtesy as he explained with a smile.
"Oh? You mean the Qingtian Escort Agency put in a great deal of effort?" Wei Zhao blinked.
"Exactly. We're all grasshoppers on the same string. As the Qingtian Escort Agency rose to power, our Waihu Branch's business rose with the tide, gradually spreading across the whole of the South Continent seas. Without that, how would I have had any achievements worthy of the headquarters brass's notice? Without some dazzling results to show, a lateral transfer to the East Continent would have been utterly impossible," Chai Laoshi said with a nod.
Transferred to the East Continent because of his outstanding achievements? At first hearing, the reason sounded perfectly reasonable—but on closer scrutiny, Wei Zhao found it simply didn't hold up.
One had to understand that in a place like the Hong Merchant Association, advancement was not won on the strength of a single achievement, especially not with Chai Laoshi's scant credentials. To go from barely two years as a branch manager to a sudden transfer to the East Continent—who ever heard of such a rapid rise?
Anyone could guess with their toes that those fat posts in the East Continent branches were all firmly gripped in the hands of the various headquarters higher-ups. Without those higher-ups giving the nod, however remarkable Chai Laoshi's exploits in the South Continent, they would count for nothing. Only if Hong Zhong pulled every string on his behalf up above would there be even a sliver of a chance.
But Vice Chairman Hong Zhong had been stuck on North Island all this while, essentially squeezed out of the headquarters' inner circle. Even if he wanted to pull strings for Chai Laoshi, it wouldn't be so easy. Getting Chai Laoshi into the Waihu Branch manager's seat last time had been a special circumstance, a stroke of luck that couldn't be counted on twice.
Which brought the question right back: how exactly had Chai Laoshi been transferred to the East Continent? There had to be more to it than met the eye—certainly not as simple as the "outstanding achievements" he had just described. Unless he had found himself some powerful new patron!
Chai Laoshi was, after all, a man Wei Zhao and Hong Zhong had raised up with their own hands. To go and pledge himself to another patron without so much as a word to the two of them—such conduct was nothing short of betrayal!
Wei Zhao might not be a man of ruthless cruelty, but when it came to traitors he would never be soft. This business today had to be gotten to the bottom of. (To be continued.)