After ending the call, Shui Miao turned to Sister Tang.
Sister Tang looked astonished. She found it strange—Guo Ming and Guo Liang were just regular maintenance workers. How could they have fled with the hotel’s money? Had they even robbed the company safe?
Before Sister Tang could ask, Shui Miao whispered, “Sister Tang, go to the employment agency and find a few maintenance workers, preferably ones with hotel experience. Let them try out for three days first—room, board, and a trial period included. If everything goes smoothly, they’ll become permanent staff at a salary of 3,000 per month, including meals and accommodation. I trust your sharpness to handle this. I have an urgent matter to attend to and must leave immediately.”
“Then I’ll get off, and you drive straight back,” Sister Tang said. A career-driven woman through and through, she was already anxious to return to the hotel.
Shui Miao waved his hand, “No, I’ll get off.”
There was no need to argue over such a matter. In Shui Miao’s mind, a man should always give way to a woman.
As Shui Miao stepped out of the car, Sister Tang reminded him to be careful. Those simple words of concern might seem trivial to others, but to Shui Miao, they warmed his heart. Hailing a taxi, he got in and thought to himself that Sister Tang was now the most suitable candidate to be the hotel manager. She was capable, smart, and definitely up to the job. But one tree doesn’t make a forest—she needed a few capable assistants.
Shui Miao was someone who couldn’t bear to see others worry about him. A few kind words from Sister Tang had already set him thinking about her future.
※※※
At Guo Ming and Guo Liang’s small restaurant, there were now four people inside—two men and two women, the brothers and their wives—packing things up. Judging from their frantic pace, they looked like refugees fleeing a disaster, afraid that a moment’s delay would trap them forever. Just as they were shouldering their bags, dragging suitcases, and tucking bundles under their arms, preparing to leave, Chen Bing appeared at the door.
Chen Bing grinned, “Hey, where are you folks off to?”
“Chen Bing! What are you doing here? Didn’t Shui Miao fire you?” The couple was startled to see someone blocking the doorway. Guo Ming quickly recovered, his eyes darting as he added, “Chen Bing, our family’s in trouble—we have to go back immediately. We don’t have time to chat now. When we get back, we’ll treat you to drinks.”
“Hehe, if you leave like this, I’m afraid I’ll never get to drink with you again. Let’s not play games. I heard you were robbed when you went to withdraw money, but I’ve noticed you packing for a while now—you never even went to the bank.” Chen Bing sneered, spreading his legs wide to block the doorway, clearly unwilling to move: “Besides, even though I was fired by Shui Ge, we’re still brothers.”
Guo Ming had only told Shui Miao about the robbery. The fact that Chen Bing knew meant he must have been sent by Shui Miao.
“Big brother, what do we do? Maybe we should just…”
Guo Liang was getting anxious. He had been willing to hand over the money, but after returning home, Guo Ming had changed his mind. Not only did he refuse to hand the money over, he planned to deceive Shui Miao and leave before he arrived. His idea was to show Shui Miao that even if he caught them, there would be no money left—making it pointless to pursue them.
It must be said that Guo Liang seriously underestimated Shui Miao’s intelligence.
“Shut up!”
Guo Ming raised his hand to silence Guo Liang. Glaring at Chen Bing with menace, he coldly said, “Chen Bing, we’ve known each other for two years—friends at least in part. Let us go, and I’ll give you 200,000. If you won’t let us go, I’ll fight you here and now!”
Guo Ming dropped his bag and pulled out a dagger he had prepared in advance.
“Big brother, you’re making a mistake! Chen Bing is just a worker. Your real opponent is the hotel! Chairman Lin has money and power. If you really hurt one of her people, do you think you’ll have a way out? Let’s just give up the money and avoid disaster!” Guo Liang grabbed Guo Ming’s arm, trying to stop him from doing something impulsive. Money could be earned again, but once life was lost, everything was gone.
Guo Ming’s wife and Guo Liang’s wife also rushed forward to plead.
“But this money was hard-earned. I just can’t bear to give it up!” Guo Ming was acting on impulse. After hearing his brother’s words, he began to calm down.
“Ah! What a fool!” Chen Bing shook his head and sighed, “Greed blinds the mind. Brother Guo Ming, you’ve been blinded by money! Shui Ge has been more than fair to you—he only asked for 600,000! If the previous manager, Huang Fei, had handled this, he’d have ruined you completely. If it had been Gao Bo, you two brothers—and your wives—might already be dead. Now, I won’t stop you, but you won’t escape either. With modern technology everywhere, surveillance cameras are everywhere. With Chairman Lin’s power, don’t be so naive, okay?”
“Yes, brother! Don’t make a mistake!”
Guo Liang saw clearly—the 600,000 was manageable. He could still keep 300,000, enough to start a big business back home. Besides, the restaurant hadn’t cost much—most of the materials had been taken from the hotel. They had made a fortune for free. If they weren’t satisfied with that, they truly were blinded by greed—beyond redemption.
Seeing that Guo Liang was reasonable, Chen Bing relaxed a little. He stepped back outside and glanced down the main road to the left. He saw five security guards running toward them, each holding a steel chain. He shook his head again, “You’re already trapped. The hotel security is here. As a friend, I’ll give you one last piece of advice: a worker, in a losing position, trying to fight someone stronger—that’s suicide. Now, only Shui Ge can save your lives.”
“Clang!”
The dagger fell to the ground with a sharp sound. Guo Ming slumped onto the floor, his face pale with frustration.
After Xiao Liu and the others arrived, to avoid unnecessary attention and prevent the incident from leaking out, Chen Bing asked Xiao Liu to take the others back, leaving only Xiao Hu behind. Seeing that only Guo Ming was being difficult and that Xiao Hu was more than capable, Xiao Liu called Shui Miao for confirmation before leaving with the team.
Inside the restaurant, Guo Liang and the others were trying to convince Guo Ming to hand over the money.
Outside, Chen Bing and Xiao Hu were chatting, waiting for Shui Miao.
After finishing the phone call, Shui Miao turned to look at Sister Tang.
Sister Tang wore a look of astonishment. She found it strange—Guo Ming and Guo Liang were just ordinary maintenance workers. How could they possibly run off with the hotel’s money? Had they stolen from the company’s safe?
Before Sister Tang could voice her questions, Shui Miao said in a low voice, “Sister Tang, could you go to the agency and find a few maintenance workers for me? Preferably those who have worked in hotels before. They can come for a three-day trial, with meals and accommodation provided. If there are no issues after three days, they’ll become permanent employees with a monthly salary of three thousand, including room and board. I believe with your sharpness, you’ll handle this well. I have something urgent to attend to and must leave immediately.”
“Then I’ll get off the car, and you can head back directly,” Sister Tang said. As a typical career-driven woman, hearing that something had happened at the hotel made her anxious.
Shui Miao waved his hand. “No, I’ll get off instead.”
There was no point arguing over such matters. In Shui Miao’s heart, a man ought to yield to a woman.
As Shui Miao got out of the car, Sister Tang reminded him to be careful and stay safe. To others, such simple concern might not mean much, but to Shui Miao, it warmed his heart. Hailing a taxi, Shui Miao thought to himself that Sister Tang was the most suitable person to be the hotel manager. She was capable, quick-witted, and would undoubtedly excel as a manager. However, she couldn’t do it alone—she needed a few good assistants.
Shui Miao was someone who couldn’t resist caring for others. After Sister Tang showed him a bit of concern, he began thinking about how to help her.
※※※
At Guo Ming and Guo Liang’s small eatery, four people—two men and two women, the Guo brothers and their wives—were hurriedly packing their belongings. Their frantic movements made it seem as though they were fleeing a disaster, afraid that if they delayed even a moment, they might never escape. Just as they were about to leave, carrying backpacks, suitcases, and bundles, Chen Bing appeared at the door.
Chen Bing grinned. “Well, well, what are you all up to?”
“Chen Bing, why are you here? Weren’t you fired by Shui Miao?” Guo Ming and Guo Liang were startled to see someone blocking the door. Guo Ming reacted quickly, his eyes darting around as he added, “Chen Bing, something’s come up at home, and we have to rush back. We don’t have time to chat now. When we return, we’ll treat you to a drink.”
“Heh, if you leave like this, I’m afraid I’ll never get to drink with you again. Let’s not beat around the bush—I heard you were robbed when you went to withdraw money. But I noticed you packing up long ago and never even went to the bank.” Chen Bing sneered, spreading his legs to block the doorway, clearly unwilling to let them pass. “Also, even though I was fired by Brother Shui, we’re still good friends.”
The fact that the money had been robbed was something only Guo Ming had told Shui Miao. Now that Chen Bing knew, it was obvious that Shui Miao had sent him.
“Big brother, what should we do? Maybe we should…”
Guo Liang grew anxious. He had been willing to hand over the money, but Guo Ming had changed his mind after returning. Not only was he unwilling to give up the money, but he also planned to deceive Shui Miao and leave before he arrived. The idea was to make Shui Miao believe that even if he caught them, there would be no money left, so it wasn’t worth pursuing.
Admittedly, Guo Liang’s plan severely underestimated Shui Miao’s intelligence.
“Quiet!”
Guo Ming raised his hand to cut off Guo Liang. He glared fiercely at Chen Bing and said coldly, “Chen Bing, we’ve known each other for two years. We’re at least half-friends. Let us go, and we’ll give you two hundred thousand. If you don’t, I’ll fight you to the death today!”
Guo Ming put down his bundle and pulled out a dagger he had prepared earlier.
“Big brother, you’re being foolish! Chen Bing is just a laborer. Your real opponent is the big hotel! Chairwoman Lin is wealthy and powerful. If you hurt her people, do you think you’ll survive? Let’s just pay to avoid disaster!” Guo Liang grabbed Guo Ming’s hand, stopping him from doing something impulsive. Money could be earned again, but life, once lost, was gone forever.
Guo Ming’s wife and Guo Liang’s wife also rushed over to dissuade him.
“But this money—we worked hard for it. I can’t bear to just give it away!” Guo Ming was acting on impulse, but after hearing his brother’s words, he calmed down considerably.
“Ah! You’re truly confused!” Chen Bing shook his head and sighed. “Greed knows no bounds! Brother Guo Ming, you’ve been blinded by wealth! Brother Shui has been more than fair to you—he only asked for six hundred thousand! If Manager Huang Fei were handling this, he’d have drained you dry. If Gao Bo were in charge, both you brothers and your wives would already be dead. Right now, I could let you go, but you wouldn’t escape. With today’s technology and surveillance everywhere, given Chairwoman Lin’s influence, don’t be so naive!”
“Exactly, brother, you can’t be reckless!”
Guo Liang saw things clearly. Handing over six hundred thousand meant he could still keep three hundred thousand—more than enough to start a big business back home. Besides, the small eatery hadn’t cost much to set up. Most of the materials had been taken from the hotel. They had earned so much money for free. If they still weren’t satisfied, they were truly blinded by greed and beyond redemption.
Seeing that Guo Liang was reasonable, Chen Bing felt much more at ease. He stepped back outside and glanced toward the main road on the left. Five security guards, each holding an iron chain, were running toward them. He shook his head and sighed again. “It’s too late to leave now. The hotel’s security is here. As a friend, I’ll give you one last piece of advice: a laborer, already in the wrong, picking a fight with someone stronger is suicide. Right now, only Brother Shui can save you.”
*Clang!*
The dagger fell to the ground with a clear, sharp sound. Guo Ming slumped to the floor, his face pale with unwillingness.
When Xiao Liu and the others arrived, to avoid drawing unnecessary attention and to prevent the incident from leaking, Chen Bing asked Xiao Liu to take the team back, leaving only Xiao Hu behind. Seeing that only Guo Ming was causing trouble and that Xiao Hu was more than capable of handling him, Xiao Liu called Shui Miao. After getting Shui Miao’s approval, he left with the others.
Inside the eatery, Guo Liang and the others tried to persuade Guo Ming to hand over the money.
Meanwhile, Chen Bing and Xiao Hu chatted outside, waiting for Shui Miao to arrive.
Before long, Shui Miao arrived. Seeing Guo Ming sitting on the ground, still full of resentment, Shui Miao came up with a compromise. He walked into the eatery and said to Guo Ming amiably, “Since you’re so unwilling and think you can get away, fine, I won’t play the good guy anymore. If any of you want to leave, I won’t stop you. But if you end up wanted later, that’s your own problem. Take care.”
After speaking succinctly, Shui Miao turned and left with Xiao Hu and Chen Bing.
Shui Miao’s sudden withdrawal from the matter made Guo Liang panic. He turned to Guo Ming and said, “Big brother, I can’t deal with this anymore. You have 1.2 million. Give me the six hundred thousand that’s rightfully mine. I’ll hand over three hundred thousand to the hotel and wash my hands of this mess.”
Guo Liang decided to settle accounts and clean up his own mess first.
Seeing that things had reached this point and that even his own brother was turning against him, Guo Ming had no choice. He sighed heavily and called out to Shui Miao, who hadn’t gone far. “Manager, I’m willing to hand over the money, but you have to give me a few days.”
Guo Ming was shrewd. It wasn’t that he couldn’t part with the money—he understood the same logic as Guo Liang. The reason he was reluctant was that he felt something was off. He suspected the money wasn’t for the hotel but was being pocketed by Shui Miao privately. If Lin Qing’er had given the order, he would have handed over the money immediately, even all 1.2 million, without complaint. But the person demanding it was Shui Miao, a former lowly waiter he had never taken seriously. He couldn’t accept it and didn’t trust him.
“I’m not handling this matter anymore. Take it up with Chairwoman Lin directly. Pay whatever she asks.” Seeing Guo Ming bargaining with him, a hint of doubt in his eyes, Shui Miao realized the guy probably suspected him of embezzling the money.
Hearing this, Guo Ming grew uneasy. He decided to test Shui Miao one last time. “I don’t have Chairwoman Lin’s number. Can you give it to me?”
“Sure.”
Shui Miao took out his phone, recited Lin Qing’er’s number, and then walked away, sending her a text message as he went.
Guo Ming swallowed hard and dialed Lin Qing’er’s number… Lin Qing’er, seeing an unknown number, thought it was a spam call and hung up. Shortly after, she received a message from Shui Miao: “Guo Ming underestimates me. Make him return every cent he earned. Scare him a little.” After reading the message, Guo Ming’s call came through again…
“Who is this?”
Lin Qing’er was in the middle of discussing matters with a friend and was irritated by the interruption. Her tone was sharp.
Hearing Lin Qing’er’s voice, Guo Ming grew nervous. “Chairwoman, it’s me, Guo Ming from the maintenance department. About Shui Miao asking me to compensate… do you know about it?”
“What, you don’t want to pay?” Lin Qing’er frowned, her voice demanding.
Guo Ming waved his hands frantically. “No, no, that’s not it. I just wanted to ask how much you want me to pay.”
“Return every cent you earned from our hotel. Why are you even asking?” Lin Qing’er snapped and hung up.
*Gulp!*
Guo Ming put down his phone, his face filled with terror. He was completely stunned.
※※※
Not long after, as Shui Miao was approaching the hotel’s side entrance, Guo Ming and Guo Liang caught up to him. Both wore ingratiating smiles, and Guo Ming held a bank card. “Manager, manager, please don’t hold a grudge against us. Help us one more time. We’ve worked hard all these years—it hasn’t been easy! This card has six hundred thousand. The password is six eights. Please take it. And the agreement for the eatery is here too…”
Guo Ming’s fawning demeanor was a far cry from his earlier arrogance.
Though Guo Liang also forced a smile, he was deeply frustrated. He resented his foolish brother for bringing this humiliation upon himself.
“Sorry, I already said I’m not handling this. Take it up with Chairwoman Lin directly. I have things to do. My apologies.” Shui Miao turned away coldly, but inwardly, he marveled at the complexity of human nature. To achieve great things, understanding people was an art. Guo Ming was clever, but his cleverness had backfired, and he had ultimately yielded. This simple incident had laid bare the weaknesses of human nature. To accomplish great things in the future, he would need to pay more attention to such nuances.
Without another word, Shui Miao turned and left with Xiao Hu and Chen Bing.
Suddenly, Shui Miao stopped caring. Guo Liang was the first to panic. He reached out to Guo Ming and said, “Big brother, I can’t hold back anymore. You have 1.2 million. Give me my 600,000. I’ll hand over 300,000 to the hotel and wash my hands of this mess.”
Guo Liang decided to split the money and clear his own name first.
With the situation reaching this point and his own brother turning against him, Guo Ming had no choice but to sigh deeply. He stood up and called out to Shui Miao, who hadn’t gone far, “Manager, I’ll pay up, but I need a few more days.”
Guo Ming was a sharp man. It wasn’t that he was unwilling to part with a few hundred thousand. He understood the same logic Guo Liang did. The reason he hesitated was because he suspected something was off—this money wasn’t for the hotel, but for Shui Miao’s own gain. If Chairman Lin had ordered him to pay, he would have handed over the full 1.2 million without hesitation. But the person asking was Shui Miao, a former waiter he had never respected. He couldn’t accept it—he didn’t believe it!
“I’ve already decided not to handle this anymore. Go talk directly to Chairman Lin. She’ll tell you how much to pay,” Shui Miao replied, realizing that Guo Ming was questioning his motives.
Hearing this, Guo Ming’s heart sank. He decided to test Shui Miao one last time, “I don’t have Chairman Lin’s number. Can you give it to me?”
“No problem.”
Shui Miao took out his phone, gave Guo Ming Lin Qing’er’s number, and walked off, sending Lin Qing’er a text as he went.
Guo Ming swallowed hard and dialed the number… Lin Qing’er, seeing an unfamiliar number, assumed it was a prank call and hung up. Moments later, she received a message from Shui Miao: “Guo Ming doubts me. Let him give back however much he took—scare him a bit.” Right after reading it, her phone rang again.
“Who is this?”
Lin Qing’er was in the middle of a meeting with a friend and was clearly annoyed, her tone sharp.
Hearing her voice, Guo Ming’s heart raced, “Chairman, it’s me—Guo Ming from maintenance. Do you know about Shui Miao asking me to pay back the money?”
“So, you don’t want to pay?” Lin Qing’er frowned.
“No, no, not at all! I just wanted to ask… how much do you want me to pay?”
“Return every penny you stole from my hotel. What’s there to ask?” she snapped and hung up.
“Gulp!”
Guo Ming lowered the phone, his face pale with fear, completely stunned.
※※※
Not long after, as Shui Miao approached the side entrance of the hotel, Guo Ming and Guo Liang came chasing after him. Both wore sycophantic smiles. Guo Ming held a bank card in his hand, “Manager! Please forgive us! We’ve worked so hard all these years. Please help us just one more time. This card has 600,000 yuan. The password is six 8s. Please accept it. And here’s the restaurant agreement too…”
Guo Ming’s face was full of flattery, completely different from the man he had been before.
Guo Liang smiled as well, but inside, he was furious. He hated his foolish older brother for making things worse and humiliating himself unnecessarily.
“I’m sorry, I already said I’m not involved anymore. Go directly to Chairman Lin to settle the matter. I have other things to attend to. Excuse me.” Shui Miao turned coldly and walked away, but inside he was thinking: To achieve great things, understanding people’s hearts is truly an art. Guo Ming was a smart man, but his intelligence had backfired. In the end, he still submitted. A simple incident like this had fully exposed human weakness. If he wanted to achieve greatness in the future, he must pay attention to these psychological nuances.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage