Following the address provided by Xin Ran, Wei Yumeng arrived downstairs at the new company. While it wasn't as grand and luxurious as the Zhan Corporation building, she had no other choice at the moment.
On her way, she had already looked into the company's background. It was a small company, insignificant compared to Zhan Corporation, but the salary was decent. Given her current situation, working for a while before her confinement would at least ensure a reasonable quality of life during that period.
Although the elder Mr. Zhan had confirmed that the child was indeed of the Zhan family and had stated he wouldn't disown the child, her conditions were unacceptable to him. Therefore, she didn't want the Zhan family interfering in raising the child.
She could find a way to support her own child.
After tidying her appearance at the entrance, she curved her lips, trying her best to look presentable.
Upon entering the new company, she approached the front desk. "Hello, I'm here for an interview. May I ask where I should wait?"
The company's boss, Mr. Wang, had already received a call from Xin Ran, instructing the front desk to take anyone who came for an interview directly to his office. So, upon hearing Wei Yumeng's question, the receptionist led her directly to Mr. Wang's office.
As they entered, Mr. Wang was on the phone. He glanced at Wei Yumeng, his expression slightly unnatural. Wei Yumeng felt a bit confused, sensing that something was not quite right.
"Alright, I understand." After he finished his call, Wei Yumeng stepped forward to introduce herself. "Hello, Mr. Wang. I'm Wei Yumeng, here for an interview."
As soon as she finished her first sentence, Mr. Wang raised his hand. "I apologize, Ms. Wei, but the interview for today has been canceled. You can leave now."
Wei Yumeng felt as if she had been struck by lightning. According to Xin Ran, this job should have been a sure thing, and the interview was merely a formality. To be rejected before even starting the interview was an outcome she hadn't anticipated.
If it was because of the incident online a few days ago, then Xin Ran definitely wouldn't have asked her to come today. Furthermore, she had confirmed by phone that there was an interview scheduled. Since they asked her to come, it meant they intended to hire her; why would she be suddenly refused?
Unable to figure out the reason, she decided to ask. "Excuse me, Mr. Wang, could I ask why the interview has been canceled?"
Mr. Wang shrugged. "Because the position has already been filled. You're too late."
Wei Yumeng did not believe this explanation. "But I contacted you today, and I called not long ago, and they told me to come for an interview. You suddenly changed your mind; you should give me a convincing reason, shouldn't you?"
Mr. Wang seemed unwilling to discuss the matter further and directly asked her to leave. "I apologize, Ms. Wei, but the position is indeed filled. Please leave and do not disturb our work. If you do not leave, I will have to call security to escort you out."
Since he had made his intentions so clear, anything more she said would be futile. Wei Yumeng had no choice but to leave Mr. Wang's office. Feeling downcast, she walked slowly, completely lacking the spirited demeanor she had upon entering.
The employees in the office couldn't help but glance at her as she walked out of the office dejectedly. To their surprise, they realized she was the female protagonist from the viral video a few days ago.
"Hey, isn't that the woman who was bothering someone's fiancé?"
"Yeah, she looks like it. Why is she here at our company?"
"She's probably looking for a job. What kind of job can a woman like that find? If she actually joined our company, she'd better not try to seduce the boss."
"Don't you guys know? Our boss knows that person surnamed Xin, so she was probably arranged to come here by him. But with things having gotten so ugly, even if she wants to rely on his connections, his fiancée might not agree."
"If it were me, I would have stayed home and not come out. How can she still have the nerve to come out looking for a job?"
These strangers, who knew nothing about her, harbored the greatest malice. Although they didn't know the truth, they naturally believed what they saw. Wei Yumeng heard all their hurtful and sharp remarks. Unable to retaliate, she quickened her pace and fled the scene of trouble as quickly as possible. Stepping out of the building, she leaned against her belongings and let out a long sigh.
So, Mr. Zhan's threat of "extreme measures" wasn't just about kicking her out of Zhan Corporation, but about making it impossible for her to stay in Pengcheng at all. Or perhaps it was to force her to compromise and hand over the child to the Zhan family.
She wondered how Zhan Mohan was doing and if he knew about her predicament.
Fortunately, she still had a place to stay. It was around the time Mu Linjing would be off work. Regardless, she would get through today, and she'd continue looking for work tomorrow. The Zhan family indeed had influence in Pengcheng, but she refused to believe she had absolutely no way to survive.
She took a taxi back home and first confirmed that there were no angry crowds or paparazzi around before getting out of the car.
She had intended to rest at home, clear her thoughts, and see if there were any other companies she could approach for a job.
However, as soon as she went upstairs, she saw a pile of things in the hallway, and they looked all too familiar. Looking further, she saw Mu Linjing squatting by the door with her suitcase, looking dejected when she saw her return.
"Lin Jing, what's going on? Why have all these things been thrown out? Isn't the rent still valid?"
Mu Linjing let out a long sigh, stood up from the ground, and shook her head listlessly. "I don't know how I offended the landlord. I hadn't even finished work when she suddenly called me and told me to move out, without even giving me a reason. By the time I got back, all my things were already thrown out, and the lock had been changed."
Upon hearing this, Wei Yumeng seemed to understand what was happening.
It was at this moment that Mu Linjing also realized something. "Right, weren't you staying with Mr. Zhan? Why are you back?"
Wei Yumeng didn't even know where to begin. She could only tell Mu Linjing about her conversation with the elder Mr. Zhan. "Lin Jing, I've implicated you."
Mu Linjing shook her head. "Don't say that. Sisters support you. You can't back down on the matter of the child."
Despite what she said, they now didn't even have a place to stay, and basic issues of food and shelter had become a problem.
The two looked at each other in silence for a long time. Wei Yumeng finally took a deep breath and patted Mu Linjing's hand. "Don't be sad. Let's find a hotel to stay in first, pack up our things, and order takeout if we're hungry. Are we two living people really going to end up sleeping on the streets and starving?"
It was true. Moreover, Wei Yumeng was pregnant, her belly growing larger. She definitely needed to find a place to stay tonight, at the very least, to get by.
Mu Linjing patted her face and also regained some energy. The two first carried their belongings downstairs, taking breaks on the stairs when they were tired.
It took them over an hour to move all their things downstairs. They called a car and headed straight to the nearest hotel.
By the time they had their luggage in the room and settled into the hotel, it was completely dark outside. Both were drenched in sweat but felt too exhausted to move from the bed.
Staring at the ceiling, Wei Yumeng felt a deep weariness, not just physical, but also emotional. Besides her worries about work and the baby, she was also filled with guilt towards Mu Linjing, for whom this was an entirely undeserved misfortune.
However, Mu Linjing didn't see it that way. After resting for a while, she asked, "Yumeng, where did you go after you left the company today?"
Wei Yumeng recalled the events of the afternoon and sighed repeatedly. She briefly explained the sequence of events.
Mu Linjing had heard about Mr. Zhan's temperament. "It seems Mr. Zhan is determined to force you into a corner this time. That small company has no power to fight back against Zhan Corporation; they can only be manipulated. It's understandable they made such a choice."
Wei Yumeng knew this, of course. But she thought about her empty wallet and touched her increasingly large belly. With the baby due soon, she had indeed bought quite a few infant items, but the medical expenses would also be a huge sum.
She had no savings at all. With what would she raise this child after it was born?