novelraw Chapter 195: Striving for Forgiveness
Chapter 195: Striving for Forgiveness
At 3:00 p.m.
Yuhua Business Tower, Shangya Fashion Design Company.
The desk was piled high with drafts, fabrics, color swatches, and prototypes, forming a small mountain. Vibrant fabrics and patterns surrounded the area, with various sounds bustling around.
“Done!”
Yao Lingling lifted her head and massaged her sore wrist. She looked at the outfit in her hands and smiled with satisfaction.
This sample garment, sewn entirely by her, perfectly matched the sketch designed by Tang Song, with impressive fidelity. The fabric used was top-notch and ready-to-wear quality. Tang Song would definitely be thrilled upon seeing it.
As a student majoring in fashion design, Yao Lingling had only received basic training in pattern making and garment construction in university. Her ability to complete this piece on her own was largely thanks to her family background—her mother was a seamstress, and her childhood home was a tailoring shop. Over time, she naturally picked up sewing skills.
By putting her heart into the work, her results rivaled those of professional tailors. Only a designer understands how much effort it takes to create a sample garment. Inspiration, theme development, material collection, and drafting sketches—each step required immense time and energy.
Thanks to Tang Song’s help, Yao Lingling only needed to handle the latter stages, sparing her a lot of work.
She turned on her camera and snapped a few photos of the shirt and jeans. Her new phone worked wonders, producing stunning images.Touching her beloved device, she smiled brightly. It had only been recently launched, with a top-tier version costing about 6,500 yuan—more than her monthly salary.
Tang Song was indeed generous!
Having graduated just a year ago and currently working as an assistant, her salary barely covered her expenses, leaving no room for savings.
However, once she was promoted to a full-fledged fashion designer, she planned to return the favor with a thoughtful gift. Taking such advantage of a friend weighed on her conscience. This was one of the reasons she had poured so much effort into making the sample garment.
---
“Yao Lingling!”
A voice came from the doorway.
Yao Lingling quickly stood up and replied politely, “Sister Liang, do you need something?”
Designer Liang Jiani furrowed her brows. “Director Peng is looking for you. Go to her office.”
Without further explanation, Liang Jiani turned and left.
Yao Lingling made a playful face behind her back.
Since joining the company, she had been assisting Liang Jiani with a myriad of tasks, often shouldering the unpleasant and labor-intensive work, even taking the blame and enduring scolding.
However, her outstanding ability and execution skills made her indispensable to Liang Jiani.
Now that Yao Lingling was about to be promoted to designer, it was undoubtedly hard for Liang Jiani to accept, leading to plenty of snide remarks.
Placing the sample garment back in its bag and returning it to her workstation, Yao Lingling straightened her clothes and knocked on the director’s office door.
“Director, you called for me?”
Peng Xinlei looked up and smiled. “Lingling, President Li has returned from his business trip in Suzhou. Prepare yourself; we’ll have a sample review meeting in half an hour.”
Hearing this, Yao Lingling’s heart raced. “Got it. Thank you, Director Peng!”
Leaving the office, she jogged back to her workstation and glanced around for Xiaoming Xuan.
He was nowhere to be seen.
She nudged Li Shumin’s arm and asked urgently, “Minmin, have you seen Mingxuan?”
There were two sample garments in total. One was tailored to Xiaoming Xuan’s measurements, made by the company’s in-house tailor.
Li Shumin shrugged. “He went home after lunch and hasn’t come back since.”
Panicking, Yao Lingling pulled out her phone and dialed Xiaoming Xuan’s number.
After just two rings, a familiar voice called out, accompanied by the sharp snap of fingers: “Hello, beauty! Were you looking for me?”
“You’re finally back! Go change clothes!” Yao Lingling exclaimed joyfully, only to pause when she turned and saw him.
---
The murmurs of colleagues filled the air.
“Wow, Xiaoming, why are you so decked out today?”
“Damn, Mingxuan looks so handsome!”
“Got a haircut and ditched the glasses—he’s a whole new person.”
“That outfit looks amazing. Is that the summer set Lingling designed? The fit is fantastic!”
Xiaoming Xuan grinned. “Surprised? I went home specifically to shower, style my hair, and change clothes for your review meeting.”
He turned around to show off his outfit, eliciting a stunned expression from Yao Lingling.
When Xiaoming Xuan first joined, he sported a buzz cut. Over the past month, his hair had grown wild and unruly. Coupled with his thick glasses, he had appeared quite ordinary.
Now, with contact lenses and a slick side-part hairstyle, his tall and slender figure was accentuated by the fitted white shirt, light-embroidered jeans, and canvas shoes.
Though not classically handsome, his aura was clean, sunny, and bright—a model-like presence.
Giving him a thumbs-up, Yao Lingling laughed. “I have to admit, you’ve got some looks!”
“Thanks for the compliment.” Xiaoming Xuan raised his eyebrows triumphantly before chatting briefly with other colleagues and preparing for the upcoming meeting.
Having spent two months familiarizing himself with the company’s operations and personnel structure, Xiaoming Xuan was ready to take the next step. With Yao Lingling’s promotion, he aimed to solidify his footing in corporate management, build his team, and drive Shangya’s growth online.
Zhuxi Community
Guitar music floated from the bedroom.
Liu Wenning sat on the couch, her eyes closed, singing softly. Her reddish-brown medium-length hair fell loosely over her shoulders. Across from her, Zhou Dongbing munched on a lollipop while focusing on the camera capturing the scene.
Their temporary band consisted of four members, three of whom were old friends from the self-media circle.
Among them, Liu Wenning was the most successful, with a sizable fanbase and regular gigs at bars and restaurants. In contrast, Molly and Zhou Dongbing struggled more and often hung around Liu Wenning, enjoying free meals and drinks while playing together.
As the recording session neared its end, the abrupt sound of a phone ringing shattered the ambiance.
“Dmn it!” Liu Wenning’s eye twitched. “Who calls at this hour? Crazy!”
After countless takes to capture the right mood, this disruption was infuriating.
Zhou Dongbing paused the recording and joined in her cursing.
Annoyed, Liu Wenning set down her guitar and grabbed her phone. It was a local landline number.
Answering without much thought, her tone was curt: “Hello? Who is this?”
On the other end, a familiar yet stern voice responded, “Hello, is this Liu Wenning? I’m calling from the Qiaoxi District Police Station. We are investigating a case of malicious damage to a vehicle bearing license plate Yan A. The damage is significant, constituting a criminal offense under property damage laws. We need your cooperation in the investigation.”
Hearing the firm tone, Liu Wenning’s grip tightened on the phone. Fear and anger churned within her.
“Got it. I’ll be there right away.”
As she hung up, her expression darkened. Zhou Dongbing quickly asked, “What happened, Wenning? Who was that?”
“It’s about last night,” she said through gritted teeth. “The owner is inflating the repair costs, and now the police are summoning us for questioning.”
Just as her words ended, Zhou Dongbing’s phone buzzed. After answering and hearing the same news, his face paled.
“What now?” he asked nervously.
Liu Wenning tossed her guitar onto the bed and scowled. “What else? Let’s go. It’s disgusting. All we did was scuff the car’s film, and now they’re trying to put us behind bars.”
“Fing hell!” Zhou Dongbing clenched his fists, anger flaring in his voice. “This is just picking a fight!”
Despite his tough words, unease flickered in his eyes. If the repair cost had indeed been exaggerated, they could be in real trouble.
The two hurried out of the room and grabbed their motorcycle, heading toward the police station.
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General Manager’s Office
Tang Song sat at his desk, reviewing the business proposal Xu Qing had sent that morning.
The proposal was a critical document for any company seeking investment. This one, meticulously prepared by Shen Yuyan, spanned over 13,000 words. It outlined the company’s vision, goals, business model, market opportunities, and competitive advantages. Attachments included market research, product samples, and team profiles.
After thoroughly reviewing the document, Tang Song forwarded it to Zhang Chengyuan, the investment head at Slover Trust, via email.
Then, he picked up his phone and coordinated a research assignment on “Youjie Domestic Services.” Slover Trust’s investment division in Yan City included top-tier experts from Kate Trust and had partnerships with leading consulting firms and accounting agencies.
In addition to due diligence, Tang Song hoped the team could provide strategic and operational insights for business optimization.
As his phone vibrated, the name “Lawyer Zhao Xingzhi” flashed on the screen.
“Hello, Lawyer Zhao.”
“President Tang,” Zhao said. “The police have summoned the two individuals responsible for damaging the vehicle. My team and the company representative are already at the station. Although their actions constitute property damage, the offense is minor, and they’ve shown remorse as first-time offenders. The station has suggested mediation. They’re willing to apologize in person and compensate for the damage, hoping for your forgiveness.”
Tang Song glanced at the time and stood up. “Understood. I’ll head there now.”
At the Police Station
Zhou Dongbing’s expression revealed his fear and regret.
Sneaking glances at the lawyers and agents across from him, he realized the gravity of their mistake.
Next to him, Liu Wenning sat rigidly, pale and tense, her hands clenched on her lap as she stared at the floor.
The representatives from Jindun Security were nothing like Tang Song, but they exuded a calm authority. After rattling off a series of claims, they had left the two stunned and speechless.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, officially registered under Jindun Security, was fitted with a custom V-Kool protective film valued at 80,000 yuan. The repair estimate for the damage, including labor, was 11,000 yuan—well above the criminal threshold of 5,000 yuan.
Though Liu Wenning could afford the compensation, the prospect of facing criminal charges was unbearable.
As whispers from the other side confirmed their intent to escalate the matter legally, Zhou Dongbing finally spoke in a shaky voice. “We’ll comply. I’ll admit my fault and sincerely apologize.”
Liu Wenning hesitated, but seeing no alternative, she nodded reluctantly.
Meanwhile, Tang Song arrived. Clad in a tailored suit, his imposing presence silenced the room. His calm yet assertive demeanor left the culprits visibly uneasy, realizing they had underestimated the person they’d crossed paths with.
With the mediation underway, the matter awaited Tang Song’s final decision.