Chapter 56: Changes
Outside Irene's apartment, at the same spot, in the same parking space, a Maserati came to a smooth stop. Zhang Yang got out, skillfully retrieving his folding electric bike from the trunk.
Irene stood nearby, watching him bend over to handle it, hesitant to speak, unsure what to say.
"Irene, I'll head off now," Zhang Yang said, mounting his bike, ready to finally close the chapter on his part-time work.
"Then… Little Zhang, good luck in the future," Irene said, her gaze complex as she looked at him.
"Thanks for the encouragement, Irene," Zhang Yang replied with a smile, waving goodbye before riding off.
Irene remained where she was, watching his figure gradually disappear, then sighed softly.
Opening her car door, her eyes fell to a shopping bag beneath the seat.
"Did Little Zhang leave something behind?"
She immediately called him.
"Little Zhang, did you leave something in my car?"
"Irene, it's for you. Just a little gift-don't dislike it," Zhang Yang said over the phone with a laugh.
After a long pause, Irene stared at her phone in surprise, then bent over in her fitted dress to retrieve the bag.
Inside was a Coach handbag, inexpensive, under three thousand.
She looked at it and was instantly moved.
She had received many bags before-Dior, Fendi, Hermès-some extremely expensive. But in that moment, none compared to this simple few-thousand-yuan bag.
She stared at it foolishly, holding it close to her chest, her heart racing.
"Almost an old lady, and still thinking about all this?" After some time, she touched her flushed face and shook her head with a smile.
The next morning, Friday, marked Zhang Yang's first full proper workday of the week.
He expected his frequent leave-taking earlier in the week to be noticeable, but arriving at the company, he felt an unusual tension in the air.
"Lao Xiang, what's going on?" he asked, patting Xiang Youde on the shoulder.
"You finally came to work!" Xiang Youde looked up and hurriedly said, "Something big is happening in the company."
"Big? I heard Bei Wei mention something yesterday, and now there's new news?"
Big or small, it didn't matter much, but Zhang Yang was curious what exactly was happening.
"I heard…" Xiang Youde lowered his voice, "I heard our company's boss is being replaced?"
"What? So sudden?" Zhang Yang asked in surprise.
"Yes, very sudden. I heard the acquiring party is wealthy and offered an irresistible price. Looks like it's definite," Xiang Youde said, repeating some rumor he'd heard.
As they discussed, the office suddenly fell silent.
Zhang Yang looked up to see Song Mingyang walking with pride, looking triumphant.
"Notify everyone to the conference room. I have an announcement," he said.
Everyone exchanged glances; the big event seemed to have arrived faster than expected.
Moments later, the conference room filled with employees.
Song Mingyang publicly announced the company's major change.
"Yes, many of you may have heard the news. Today is my last day as the boss."
Many employees' expressions shifted.
"Don't worry, this is good news. First, the acquiring company is publicly listed, wealthy, and the acquisition is mainly to enhance its business lines-no intention to disrupt our staffing."
"Second, benefits will improve, and basic salaries will increase, so your total income will rise!"
"Third, thank you to all employees who have supported me along the way!"
"That's the general situation. Return to your work now."
Song Mingyang bowed with a smile, ending his final company meeting, grabbed his bag, and left gracefully.
It was clear he sold the company for a good price.
Song Mingyang had no reason to feel embarrassed. It had been his private company, now fully acquired. Informing employees was sufficient. Legally, contracts were with the company, so a change in ownership didn't directly affect them.
A buzz of discussion erupted in the conference room.
Lower-level employees had little to worry about, and many felt excited-better benefits and salaries aligned with a larger corporation were a definite positive.
Some managers, however, looked uneasy.
After the meeting, Bei Wei walked with Zhang Yang.
"Can you believe the boss was replaced so suddenly? He said our benefits would change, but I don't know if it's true," she said.
"He's no longer the boss. Whether it's true or not doesn't matter. We just do our work and watch what happens," Zhang Yang said with a smile.
He didn't care much-enjoy the work if possible, leave if not. Of everyone in the company, he alone had no vulnerabilities and complete freedom.
After the meeting, the truth settled in, work resumed, and everything returned to normal.
Meanwhile, managers went to a meeting room to coordinate remotely with the new and old company heads.
The company continued running smoothly.
Before leaving, everyone saw the HR and Finance directors quietly packing their things.
Lower-level employees were unaffected, but the original boss's trusted HR and finance staff were clearly impacted-they couldn't remain.
The new HR and finance managers would be appointed by the acquiring company.
In Shanghai, companies close and open every day. For a small company like Mingyang Advertising, a change of ownership was minor even in this building, let alone the city.
Countless employees continued their routine.
Friday marked the end of the week; faces carried some relief and joy.
"Brother Zhang, I bought a bicycle. Let's ride this weekend?" Bei Wei said, tugging his hand, excited.
Every girl dreams of a rear bicycle seat. Bei Wei was no exception.
Who wouldn't want to sit behind their boyfriend, holding his waist, feeling the early-summer breeze?
Even imagining it made the air feel sweet with romance.
"Sure," Zhang Yang readily agreed.
In the empty elevator, they hugged for a while, until just before the doors closed, faint footsteps approached in the distance.
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