NOVEL NEXT Chapter 32 - Farce
“Good morning, Mr. Andy.” Jiang Hui was somewhat unsure if it was still morning; after all, she had slept for so long and had spent quite a bit of time in that strange space. It could very well have been a day and a half since she last checked.
She stared at the empty test tube on the table, where all the stabilizing agent had been consumed, leaving only a thin layer of liquid clinging to the sides.
He didn’t hold this against her, only responding with a somewhat flustered, “Good morning, Ms. Jiang.”
“Is there something you need?” After experiencing the dream, Jiang Hui felt a bit dazed and appeared rather lethargic, speaking quite carelessly.
Andy didn’t think much of it. After all, she was a patient and an incomplete awakener under twenty. The group’s behavior towards individuals like her had already crossed the line into aggressive and inhumane territory.
If she were a formidable person, she might have already taken them to the interstellar court instead of waiting for him to come to negotiate.
From the current perspective, it seemed that she was in a decent mood and didn’t associate him with the Hailusi Group to vent her frustrations. Andy secretly breathed a sigh of relief and then chose a topic that didn’t seem too dangerous: “How is your health today? I’m sorry for delaying things for so long yesterday; it probably affected your rest.”
How pitiful; she looked so listless. The group was truly mistreating the incomplete awakener…
“You said this yesterday too. It’s fine; I agreed myself. Um… but have you called several times?” Jiang Hui casually glanced at the communication records nearby and was surprised to find that he had indeed called multiple times. This was the third time.
“Yes, when I called just now, you didn’t pick up immediately. I thought something was wrong, so I didn’t call again. But after a while, you still didn’t answer, and I was worried that you were unable to respond due to health issues, which is why I made the third call,” Andy said, sounding a bit embarrassed, perhaps feeling like he had overstepped.
That was probably because she had fallen asleep. Jiang Hui recalled that she had heard a rhythmic sound during her sleep. However, because her dreams were so chaotic, she thought it was just her imagination and didn’t realize it was the sound of Andy’s holographic communication.
“Thank you for your concern. I probably just fell asleep and didn’t hear it,” Jiang Hui’s tone softened a bit, and the sharpness in her voice unconsciously faded, returning to her usual calm demeanor.
She was an ordinary person and couldn’t keep a cold face in response to such genuine goodwill.
However, maintaining a pleasant demeanor was one thing; the matter at hand still needed to be addressed. Since he was calling now, it must be important. Jiang Hui hadn’t forgotten Andy’s identity. Reflecting on the message she received from him this morning, she felt an understanding settle in her heart.
“So what is it that you want to discuss? Please speak directly,” Jiang Hui said.
Andy looked a bit embarrassed as he replied, “I came regarding yesterday’s matters, as you know, Ms. Jiang. The things we discussed yesterday. Do you remember?”
Jiang Hui nodded, but her expression grew increasingly indifferent. It seemed she recalled something unpleasant, and she frowned as she said, “Mr. Andy, you’re a bit late. This morning, I received a holographic text message from someone claiming to be an employee of the Hailusi Group. They rambled on a lot. I got impatient and just blocked them.”
Not only were they rambling, but their attitude was also quite arrogant. They acted so high and mighty that anyone who didn’t know better might think they were a director. Truly, the large store oppresses its customers.
Besides, even if she were a director, it wouldn’t concern Jiang Hui. The Hailusi Group was the one asking her for something; although she had just come out, she was still familiar with some interstellar laws—thanks to the science popularization from Mr. Calet.
As a result, her dislike for the Hailusi Group had reached a peak. The only reason she still had the patience to talk was out of respect for Andy, considering that he was one of the few people she had had in-depth exchanges with since arriving here. Otherwise, she would have already sent a lawsuit over, and no matter how powerful the Hailusi Group was, they would probably struggle to cope with it.
Speaking of this, even Andy, who seemed to have a good temper, wore a rather ugly expression. However, his displeasure was not directed at Jiang Hui, but rather towards the Hailusi Group, for which he currently worked.
When asked why he had a disagreement with the group yesterday, it was precisely because of this issue.
It was them who initially pushed him forward to deal with this matter, and now it was also them who disagreed.
The group had established a special team to resolve this issue. Their initial intention was to sincerely seek Jiang Hui’s forgiveness and mitigate the group’s credibility crisis.
But when Andy brought back the results, it seemed that one of the directors was somewhat displeased. Andy guessed it was probably Jiang Hui’s second condition that made him reluctant, as it likely damaged the group’s reputation.
The other party immediately disagreed and insisted that he go back and negotiate again. They even wanted to suppress the compensation amount, reducing it by half.
Andy protested this and wanted to fight for Jiang Hui once more. He no longer wanted any complications, and he clearly understood that Jiang Hui was not someone who could be easily dealt with; he had experienced that firsthand.
Moreover, it is quite unreasonable to bully an incomplete awakener in this way. The Hailusi Group was already at fault, and now they were standing on a tightrope, at risk of tipping over at any moment. If they wanted to resolve this issue properly, they naturally needed to pay a greater price. If they could manage to settle it, then no matter how high the cost, it would not matter.
Furthermore, Jiang Hui’s demands were not excessive. Andy sincerely felt that if the Hailusi Group wanted to have peace, they should cut through the tangled mess decisively; a bit of face was nothing, especially since the Inspection Bureau was already keeping an eye on them because of this matter.
However, that particular director held a lot of power in the Hailusi Group and had considerable influence, and he stubbornly insisted on his opinion, refusing to budge even when several directors took turns trying to persuade him.
As a result, Andy directly fell out with the Hailusi Group and bluntly stated that he had conveyed the message, but he did not want to take responsibility for what happened next. He then immediately submitted his resignation. Even the attempts of the Hailusi Group to retain him came too late.
After that, he went home yesterday without knowing anything. It wasn’t until he received a communication from the group today, permitting him to resign along with various promises, that he reconnected with Jiang Hui. So he was also unclear about what the Hailusi Group had done.
Now, he understood what they meant, and it seemed that the people from the Hailusi Group had acted recklessly, angering Jiang Hui, then for some reason, the director changed his mind, fearing that Jiang Hui would refuse to negotiate again. That’s why they sought out him, the “sucker.”
What a clever idea!