chapter 16 Retribution comes too fast and too hard

At this moment, Stanley Du's mother-in-law, Elen Zeng, suddenly scolded him, "What nonsense are you spouting? Fred Chen is a teacher at a high school. How could he possibly lie and deceive? We're talking here, you just listen quietly, don't blabber nonsense!" Stanley Du was livid, his face expressionless. He gave Elen Zeng a look like she was the biggest idiot he had ever seen. "My goodness, my future mother-in-law is really so foolish it's beyond words," he thought. "She has no ability whatsoever to distinguish truth from lies." When Stanley Du stood up to leave the table, Dinah Yang asked, "Stanley Du, where are you going?" "I've finished eating. I'm going out for a walk to digest," he replied. Once out of the restaurant, Stanley Du immediately took out his phone and called Ulysses Zhang. "Fire Warner Chen immediately," he ordered. "Okay, boss, I'll take care of it immediately," Ulysses Zhang replied. After hanging up, Stanley Du saw Fred Chen walking towards him. "What, are you sulking alone over here?" Fred Chen mocked quietly, "You're not wrong; I lied and deceived Roy Yang's family. But they believe me, not you. Haha, what can you do about it?" "Heh, liar eventually faces retribution," Stanley Du said coolly. "Retribution? Only the weak and incompetent believe in such things." Fred Chen arrogantly said, "Stanley Du, I will eventually snatch Dinah Yang away from you. When you see us happily in love, I wonder if you'll die of anger!" "Stop dreaming; you won't get that chance," Stanley Du retorted, looking at Fred Chen as if he were an idiot. As Fred Chen was gearing up to provoke Stanley Du further, his phone suddenly rang. Seeing it was his mother calling, he hurriedly answered. "Mom, what's up?" he asked. On the other end, Fred Chen's mother spoke in a panicked voice, "Fred, Mr. Zhang just called your father and fired him. Your dad took it very hard and fainted on the spot. Hurry home and take him to the hospital!" Fred Chen's face turned ashen. His father had always performed well at his job. Why would Mr. Zhang fire him? "Stop daydreaming. Your father's been fired and fainted; that's retribution. You better hurry home," Stanley Du said with a hint of schadenfreude. Fred Chen glared at Stanley Du with resentment and ran off. The next day, news that Fred Chen's father, Warner Chen, had been fired from Heaven & Earth Corporation and suffered a heart attack, landing him in the hospital, reached Elen Zeng's ears. "Oh no, poor Warner Chen really had a streak of bad luck. He was fired just a few days after his promotion, and he even ended up in the hospital himself, nearly losing his life," she lamented. "Yeah, wasn't Warner Chen one of Mr. Zhang's trusted subordinates? It's surprising Mr. Zhang actually fired him. It seems like Fred Chen was just boasting. His father, Warner Chen, doesn't seem to have that strong a connection with Mr. Zhang after all." Roy Yang and Elen Zeng chatted back and forth. Hearing this, Stanley Du thought to himself, "My father-in-law and mother-in-law have finally seen Fred Chen's true colors as a liar. Guess they're not completely clueless after all." The Chen family's fortunes fell, and Fred Chen stopped harassing Dinah Yang. Stanley Du and the Yang family had a few days of peace. Today, just before closing time in the evening, Dinah Yang suddenly handed Stanley Du a bag containing a brand-new casual outfit. "Heh, my dear wife, you're so good to me, even buying me new clothes," he said. "After work, change into these clothes, and we'll go straight to a banquet." "What banquet?" "My mother's good friend, Auntie Zhang, is throwing a full-month celebration for her grandson, and we're invited." Dinah Yang said coldly, "If you don't want to go, then don't." Soon it was time to leave. Stanley Du had already changed, but Dinah Yang was still in the restroom doing her makeup. After about half an hour, she finally came out of the restroom. She was dressed in a long black dress with an off-shoulder design. Her black hair fell over her fair shoulders, exuding elegance and femininity. Stanley Du was stunned. "Man, I can't wait to be truly married to her," he thought. "Stop daydreaming; let's go," Dinah Yang urged, walking ahead quickly. Stanley Du hurried after her. Harmony Restaurant was a chain restaurant specializing in Sichuan cuisine, with its flagship location in the provincial capital. It was quite expensive. Elen Zeng's sister, Giselle Zhang, could afford to hold her grandson's full-month celebration here, indicating she had some money to spare. When Stanley Du and Dinah Yang arrived, a waiter led them to a large private room on the second floor. Inside the private room where six tables of banquet were set up, almost everyone invited had arrived. At Stanley Du and Dinah Yang, it was all young folks. Leading the pack were Auntie Zhang's son and his wife. His wife looked ordinary but had very fair skin. Auntie Zhang's son, Sam Wang, was quite the smooth talker, decked out in designer gear, giving an impression of success. "Thanks to all the neighbors for gracing my son's full-month celebration with your presence," Sam Wang raised his glass in a toast, speaking a few words of courtesy before drinking it down. "You're too modest, Brother Wang," one tall, glasses-wearing man began to flatter him. "You're now the procurement manager at Vastflight Group, one of Ningcheng's big corporations. There must be plenty of opportunities to get rich. I hope you'll look after my small business in the future." "Your annual salary must be at least three or four hundred thousand, right, Brother Wang? That's really enviable." "Does Vastflight Group need any drivers? I've been driving for eight years and am thinking of switching over. Could you help me out with that, Brother Wang?" Everyone seemed eager to butter up Sam Wang. Sam Wang handled it all smoothly, showing a leadership quality. "Giselle Zhang, your son Sam Wang is really capable. All the younger ones are trying to get in his good graces," a woman in her fifties complimented. "Haha, thank you, but no matter how capable he is, he's still one of your juniors," Giselle Zhang replied with a proud air. Before marriage, women compete with their beauty. Once married, it's about their husband's status. And as they age, the competition shifts to whose son is more successful. "Hey, Elen, the young man sitting next to your daughter, is he her boyfriend? Where does he work?" Giselle Zhang's attention turned to Stanley Du. "He's Stanley Du. He works at our Yang family's hospital," replied Elen Zeng. "Then how much do you pay him every month?" "Base salary three thousand, plus performance bonuses," Elen Zeng responded, not revealing that Stanley Du's actual base salary was only one thousand five hundred. "Only three thousand? That's too low. Even a cleaner at Vastflight Group earns four thousand a month," Giselle Zhang said loudly, making sure everyone heard. Many people looked at Stanley Du with disdain. "Being a doctor doesn't pay as well as a cleaner at a big company. Stanley Du, you're really having a hard time." "Why don't you switch to Vastflight Group and work as a cleaner? Brother Wang will surely help you." These folks were seemingly comforting but actually ridiculing Stanley Du in their hearts, looking down on him as a poor nobody. Roy Yang, Elen Zeng, and Dinah Yang felt embarrassed. Every mockery towards Stanley Du felt like a slap on their faces. Stanley Du was nearly tarnishing their reputation. At this moment, there was a quarrel outside the private room.