Chapter Sixty: All Because of Zhang Wei's Mischief

“How dare you, Guo Bin! You knew smuggling a deal would get you fired, yet you did it anyway. Clearly, you have no respect for me as the store manager.” Xu Ming, his face livid with anger, strode out and pointed at Guo Bin’s face, his voice thunderous.

“Xu—Brother! You… How are you… here?” Guo Bin watched Xu Ming appear from the corner of the corridor, his eyes wide, his mouth agape, his whole body trembling in fright, unable to speak clearly.

Real estate agents who use company resources to smuggle deals commit a grave taboo in the industry. Once caught, they face termination—a warning to all other agents. Anyone fired for such an offense will be shunned by other companies in the business; most real estate agencies are interconnected, and once word spreads of a dismissal for this reason, few companies will ever hire that person again.

In other words, if Guo Bin is fired for smuggling a deal, he may never find footing in the local real estate industry. He’d either have to leave the capital for another city or abandon the real estate business altogether—neither option is one Guo Bin wants to face.

“How am I here? From your tone, it seems that catching you smuggling a deal is somehow my fault.” Xu Ming sneered coldly.

Xu Ming had overheard Guo Bin’s conversation with Mu Rongxuan. With his years of experience in real estate, he immediately understood what had happened. The disappointment in his gaze was unmistakable.

Xu Ming had always favored Guo Bin, the young man. Though Guo Bin hadn’t been with the company long, he was diligent in his work. His performance couldn’t rival Zhang Wei’s, but the number of deals he closed was higher. Xu Ming had always intended to groom Guo Bin, seeing in him a drive—a hunger for deals and success. Although Guo Bin sometimes competed fiercely for clients, Xu Ming believed some competition in the workplace wasn’t a bad thing.

Had Xu Ming been the only one to discover this, he might have handled it quietly, minimizing the issue and giving Guo Bin a mild warning. After all, smuggling deals was hardly uncommon among agents, and no one is without fault.

But with other agents present, the nature of the incident changed. Xu Ming couldn’t simply let Guo Bin off the hook. If the others saw Guo Bin escape punishment for smuggling a deal, they might imitate him, and the store’s order would collapse.

“Xu Ming, this is my first time smuggling a deal… I’ll never dare do it again.” Guo Bin, like a child caught in wrongdoing, looked utterly helpless, unsure how to face Xu Ming or the others.

“Manager Xu, I am at fault as well. I’m willing to compensate your company for any losses caused by this.” Mu Rongxuan’s face flushed bright red, embarrassment evident as she spoke.

“Miss Mu Rong, you are our company’s VIP client. If you wish to negotiate a discount on the agency fee, you may do so with us. There is no need to resort to smuggling deals. Such behavior is disrespectful to both our company and yourself.” Xu Ming sighed deeply. He couldn’t bring himself to reprimand Mu Rongxuan harshly, so he spoke only a token admonishment.

For a client, signing with an agent who smuggles a deal offers less security than a formal contract with the company, but the agency fee is often lower—a key reason many clients choose to sign with such agents.

Thus, Xu Ming naturally assumed Mu Rongxuan chose to sign with Guo Bin because he offered a lower agency fee, which would mean cheaper rent.

“You are right. I was wrong in this matter.” Mu Rongxuan bit her lip, head bowed, eyes brimming with tears. Never had she felt so humiliated, and in her heart, she cursed Zhang Wei bitterly.

The origin of this incident traced back several days. Guo Bin’s old friend worked at Jingxuan Studio. While chatting with this friend, Guo Bin learned that Mu Rongxuan’s residence was far from Jingxuan Studio, requiring an hour’s drive each day.

The friend mentioned it unintentionally, but Guo Bin, always alert to rental and sales opportunities, immediately pegged Mu Rongxuan as a potential client and began waiting outside Jingxuan Studio regularly.

Upon seeing Mu Rongxuan, Guo Bin asked if she wanted to rent a nearby apartment, so her commute would be shorter. At first, Mu Rongxuan politely refused, but Guo Bin didn’t give up.

In fact, Mu Rongxuan was planning to rent an apartment nearby, which would save her two hours daily. However, when Zhang Wei pretended to be her matchmaking partner, she had promised to rent through him. Meeting Zhang Wei later felt awkward, so the matter was delayed.

She didn’t agree to Guo Bin because he and Zhang Wei worked in the same store. She feared renting from Guo Bin would let Zhang Wei find out, making her break her promise and worsening their awkward relationship.

Guo Bin’s persistence paid off; knowing Mu Rongxuan needed a place, he continued to recommend apartments. Mu Rongxuan, unable to withstand his repeated efforts and genuinely wanting to rent nearby, eventually agreed to rent through him—with one condition: Zhang Wei must never know.

When Guo Bin heard this, he felt troubled. He and Zhang Wei worked together and saw each other daily. Even if he signed the contract while Zhang Wei was off, news would travel through colleagues.

After much thought, Guo Bin devised a plan: he would smuggle the deal, keeping it secret from everyone at the store. This way, he’d also claim the full commission—a tempting prospect, and thus today’s scene unfolded.

Unexpectedly, Guo Bin’s cleverness backfired. That morning, after signing the contract with Mu Rongxuan, he was quite pleased. Mu Rongxuan, being a stunning beauty, agreed to let him help her move. But as fate would have it, he was caught red-handed by Xu Ming and others viewing a property.

“I wondered why Guo Bin hasn’t closed any deals lately. Turns out he’s been focusing on smuggling deals—probably made quite a bit this month.” Wang Min smacked her lips, a hint of schadenfreude flashing in her eyes as she mocked.

“Guo Bin! Our manager treats you so well, and the company has decent benefits. Why would you do this… sigh!” Wang Jianfa shook his head, sighing softly.

“That’s enough, everyone. Stop talking. Get back to the store for a meeting. This is disgraceful!” Xu Ming threw out the command and strode toward the elevator, his voice brimming with anger.

“Guo Bin always snatches other colleagues’ clients. I knew trouble would come sooner or later.” Wang Min snorted, quick-stepping after Xu Ming, muttering under her breath.

Guo Bin wore a bitter expression, head bowed, his tall frame hunched like a suspect awaiting trial as he followed Xu Ming into the elevator. Zhang Wei and Wang Jianfa brought up the rear.

But Zhang Wei had only taken two steps when a waft of fragrance drifted by. A graceful figure appeared before him—Mu Rongxuan, her face frosted with cold, blocked his way. Before Zhang Wei could ask, the beauty spoke in a chilly voice, “Zhang Wei, wait. I have something to say to you!”