Chapter 15: Never Going Back to Being a Corporate Slave!
Chapter 15: Never Going Back to Being a Corporate Slave!
After taking the medicine, Kunlun Immortal Maiden broke out in a sweat all over, and before long she slowly regained consciousness.
In her hazy state just moments before, she had already become aware of Su Ning's life-saving actions.
When she opened her eyes, she was still extraordinarily weak.
Her entire being felt as though it had weathered a great tribulation.
Even so, she endured her weakness and exhaustion: "Many thanks to Immortal Senior for saving my life. Kunlun Immortal Maiden will never forget this kindness."
Her eyes were filled with nothing but gratitude.
"Don't move around too much. Rest and recuperate for now — hold off on cultivation for a while. Get your body back in shape first before anything else. Don't go pushing yourself with intense training just to raise your cultivation level, or you'll end up with something like myocarditis. That can be fatal," Su Ning warned.
Myocarditis?
What was that?
Kunlun Immortal Maiden had no idea what myocarditis was.
But she trusted Su Ning's words. If he said not to cultivate, then she wouldn't cultivate.
She had been too hasty before.
Cultivation should always progress step by step — too much too fast would only cause all manner of problems.
Seeing that the little people were safe, Su Ning fetched some flatbread for them.
Then he wolfed down a large slab of beef himself.
He prepared to sit down and cultivate.
Ring, ring, ring…
Unexpectedly, that phone rang again.
His phone was usually quiet, especially since he'd quit his job.
Su Ning didn't have many friends.
The number of people he actually talked to on the phone was even fewer.
He picked up his phone in confusion.
Then Su Ning rolled his eyes in exasperation.
It was the very same supervisor he had just given a piece of his mind to.
Click.
He hung up.
He tossed the phone aside, too lazy to deal with it.
He put it on silent.
And continued cultivating.
He had no intention of draining his energy over some petty ex-boss.
Su Ning completed one full Circulation Cycle.
His whole body felt refreshed and invigorated.
"Not bad… my strength has grown again. The pace isn't as fast as the first few days, but it's still progress. My physical condition has improved a bit more as well." Su Ning smiled and nodded with satisfaction.
Crack, crack, crack…
He stretched and loosened his joints.
His tendons and bones felt unobstructed, his blood and vital energy flowing freely.
His body was in even better shape than before he'd fallen ill.
He glanced at the time.
"1:31:56 PM…"
"It's only just past one?" Su Ning was startled. The time it had taken him to complete one Circulation Cycle was far shorter than any of the previous attempts.
That was nothing short of a qualitative leap.
This was undoubtedly cause for joy.
It meant that from now on, he could complete two Circulation Cycles in a single day.
His strength would grow at twice the speed.
"At this rate, breaking through to the first level of Qi Refining is just around the corner!" Su Ning was in high spirits.
Of course, there was still something that irritated him.
That idiot of a former supervisor had apparently lost his mind and was bombarding his phone like crazy.
In just one short morning, there were already 23 missed calls.
Had the man become addicted to calling?
"What's wrong with him…"
Su Ning muttered under his breath, just about to block the number.
He had no desire to argue with his ex-boss.
Not worth wasting the time.
Ring, ring, ring…
Just as he was about to go through with blocking him, the phone rang again.
He hesitated for a moment.
Su Ning answered.
"Hello, what do you want now? Still sore from getting told off? Want to fire back? I'd advise you not to humiliate yourself, because you can't out-argue me," Su Ning said.
"Su Ning, I…" The former supervisor's tone was furious.
But since he'd finally managed to get through to Su Ning after so many tries, he didn't dare let it show. Instead, he softened his voice: "Little Ning… was there some kind of misunderstanding between us? Jobs aren't easy to come by these days, you know. It'll be hard for you to find work after quitting. How about this — come back to work, and I'll pretend none of this ever happened. The time you've been absent, I'll still count it as paid leave with full attendance. What do you say?"
The supervisor's tone was gentle.
"Tch…" Su Ning scoffed.
This guy's attitude was nauseating.
He had endured humiliation and kept working before because he had no choice — he was grinding for the future.
And that whole "it'll be hard to find work" line was nothing but a tactic bosses used to manufacture anxiety and keep employees under their thumb.
Sure, jobs were hard to come by these days, but a position paying four or five thousand a month was still findable.
But the current Su Ning was not the same corporate slave he used to be.
A person doesn't live their life just to work for the sake of working — they work for a better version of themselves and a better life.
Right now, Su Ning felt his life was going pretty well.
He was cultivating like an immortal. Who in their right mind would want to go back to that miserable job?
He had no interest in serving anyone anymore.
Besides, the way this supervisor had flipped his attitude was downright ugly.
He definitely wasn't doing this for Su Ning's benefit.
"Forget it. Find someone else. I have no intention of going back to that wretched company," Su Ning said lightly.
"Also… the fact that you're willing to lower yourself and beg me to come back — does that mean the project has run into trouble? Did you finally realize… that no one can handle that position without me? Makes sense… relying on that clueless little intern, and that old schemer who pretends to know everything while knowing nothing, and that guy who does nothing but flatter his way to promotions and raises — what could they possibly accomplish?"
Su Ning thought of his two former colleagues — one a fresh-faced newcomer who needed to be taught everything, and one a seasoned operator who was all flattery and no substance, never understanding anything.
Nearly all the actual work had been done by Su Ning himself. Back then, he'd had no choice but to do it for the meager paycheck. He had carried the team on his back, yet when it came to credit, it was shared among all three — and Su Ning had barely received any recognition at all. That old schemer, because of his talent for cozying up to management, always walked away with top honors.
Now that Su Ning was gone, it would be a miracle if those two could manage anything.
Hearing Su Ning's words, the supervisor was at a loss for words and stayed silent for a long time.
It seemed he had guessed correctly.
After a long pause: "Little Ning… you know the company is going through a hard time, so… could you just help us out? Come back, finish the project, and then leave — would that be alright?"
He had originally assumed the old schemer and the intern were capable enough to replace Su Ning entirely. Little did he know they were all bluster. The moment Su Ning left, their entire department fell apart.
"If you don't come back, this project is finished. Our company probably won't be able to hold on much longer."
Su Ning laughed. "Ha! Come on — did you mistake me for someone who owes you something? And… what does it have to do with me if your company goes under?"
When I was there, you didn't know how to value me. You thought anyone could replace me. Now that things have gone wrong, you come running back?
Go to hell!
Who cares about you…
I'm busy cultivating.
"Little Ning, don't be angry. I admit I was blind before and failed to recognize your talent. How about this — if you come back, I'll give you double the salary. No, wait… triple!"
Triple?
"Quite generous of you. The trouble you're in must be serious. But my answer is still the same — what does it have to do with me?"
Go back? Finish the job and then get discarded like a used tool?
Su Ning had already seen exactly what kind of person this supervisor was.
He wasn't that foolish.
"Su Ning… you can't be so heartless. Think about it — who gave you a job when you had none? Who gave you the chance to learn? Who trained you? The company gave you so many benefits, and this is how you repay it?"
"Why are you so selfish!"
Su Ning laughed in exasperation.
This guy really had something wrong with his head.
Work is an exchange of value, plain and simple. "Learning" and "training," my foot…
Not to mention, what he had put in at that company was completely disproportionate to what he had gotten out of it.
He couldn't be bothered to waste another word on this person.
He hung up.
After all, he had already handed off his work during the handover, collected his final paycheck, and had absolutely nothing more to do with that company.
The supervisor immediately sent a message: "Little Ning… I got carried away just now. What would it take for you to help us get through this?"
Su Ning didn't even glance at it. He tossed the phone aside.
He went and made himself some lunch, then wolfed down another large slab of beef.
And continued cultivating.
He had no desire to be a corporate slave ever again.