The SL Shopping Center is located on the city's most prosperous commercial avenue, renowned for its luxury brand flagship stores. Every high-end brand available on the market can be found within its walls.
With an average per-person expenditure in the five figures, it is a "money-burning haven" favored by business magnates and wealthy socialites.
Little did Xiao Xun know, if Mu Jiahe intended to buy something, why would she bring Secretary Gao along?
Secretary Gao was also feeling uneasy. She was unsure of the relationship between Mu Jiahe and Xiao Xun. If she had offended Xiao Xun due to the incident a few days ago, she knew she wouldn't fare well. She had always believed Xiao Xun was involved with Wang Sucheng, and now she felt she had stirred up a hornet's nest.
If she had known today would come, she would have taken the initiative to retrieve that computer herself, rather than feeling like she was sitting on pins and needles like she was now.
If there were a regret medicine in the world, she would want to consume it by the ton at this very moment.
The car stopped in the rooftop parking lot of the shopping center, surrounded by top-tier luxury vehicles.
Xiao Xun's palms were sweating as he reversed, afraid of even the slightest scratch. However, the parking spaces here were exceptionally long and wide, and the parking lot had dedicated security guards to direct traffic. As long as one's driving skills weren't too poor, parking would be manageable.
Upon exiting the car, Mu Jiahe said to Secretary Gao, "Xiao Gao, you're not needed anymore. You can leave."
Secretary Gao froze, her legs instinctively beginning to tremble, her voice shaking, "President Mu, you mean... I'm fired..."
Mu Jiahe's eyelashes flicked upward. "I mean, you're off duty, not laid off. You haven't been my secretary for just a day or two. Is my meaning really that difficult to understand?"
Secretary Gao quickly waved her hands. "No, no, I was overthinking. I'll leave now." With that, she turned and walked towards the elevators at a brisk pace, her high heels clicking.
As she walked, she patted her chest. "You scared me to death. I thought I was going to be fired over such a small matter."
In reality, her worry was justified. Mu Jiahe's previous driver had been dismissed for being too talkative and not knowing his place.
When President Mu decided to dismiss someone, it was a matter of a single sentence, and no one dared to question it.
Xiao Xun watched Secretary Gao's retreating back and asked Mu Jiahe beside him, "President Mu, since you let her come, why are you letting her go now?"
Mu Jiahe didn't answer him. Instead, she produced a card from somewhere and offered it to him, "Buy what you need. The company will cover it."
Xiao Xun scratched his head, not daring to take the card. "How can I accept this? I can buy it myself."
Mu Jiahe countered, "You buy it yourself? With the little money in your pocket, you probably can't even afford a pair of socks. You are a director of the company and represent its face. Wearing what you are wearing not only embarrasses the company but also disrespects General Manager Wang Sucheng who promoted you."
Xiao Xun thought to himself: It's not that exaggerated, is it? Although what I'm wearing isn't a big brand, it's clean and presentable.
"Look at how other directors and managers in our company dress. While the company doesn't have a dress code or require uniform attire, you are different. You are a company executive, its image."
Since it had come to this point, refusing any longer would seem too affected.
Officially starting the shopping spree, Xiao Xun truly understood what high-end and luxury meant. A single suit cost more than Wang Sucheng's annual salary, and it wasn't even custom-made, just a regular item displayed on a rack.
After visiting several stores, Xiao Xun had seen clothes he liked, but the prices were so high that he didn't even have the courage to try them on.
He had never shopped in such a mall since he was a child, and he felt a distinct lack of confidence.
However, the salespeople here were all very polite, unlike the sharp-tongued and condescending individuals depicted in television dramas.
Regardless of whether one bought anything or how one was dressed, they were always met with smiles and patient introductions.
As it was a high-end shopping center, it appeared rather deserted, with few people browsing. Only the restaurants on the top floor were doing brisk business, with most establishments fully occupied and some requiring waiting numbers.
After browsing for so long, he had bought almost nothing. Mu Jiahe looked at Xiao Xun and guessed his thoughts accurately. "Is it that you don't like the styles, or do you have other concerns?"
Xiao Xun replied with a troubled expression, "I'm really not good at buying clothes. My cousin used to pick them out for me."
Mu Jiahe nodded. "In that case, let's have dinner first. You can ask your cousin to come over and offer some advice."
Xiao Xun really didn't know how to face his cousin. He looked up at the restaurants above. "No need to call her. Let's just have dinner."
The bustling top floor stood in stark contrast to the lower levels, which looked as if they were on the verge of collapse.
Mu Jiahe glanced at the brand introductions on the mall's large screen. "What do you want to eat? Do you have any dietary restrictions?"
Xiao Xun looked at the pictures above; his stomach was already rumbling. "No, whatever President Mu wants to eat, we'll eat."
"I'm tired of the food here. Let's just find a place," she said, and began walking towards the top floor. As she stepped onto the escalator, she turned to ask Xiao Xun, "Do you eat Western food?"
Xiao Xun nodded. "I'm fine with anything."
Then, the two entered a very stylish Western restaurant. Although there were only a few tables occupied in the entire restaurant, waiters in vests, ties, and white gloves stood beside every pillar.
In the center, there was a stage with a grand piano, where a man dressed in a very "gentlemanly" fashion played a melodious tune.
This was likely the only restaurant in the entire mall that didn't require queuing. Moreover, one could dine on the large terrace, offering views of the city's nightscape, but this came with an additional 10% service charge.
The waiter spoke fluent "foreign" language, and Mu Jiahe communicated with him in the same way.
Xiao Xun picked up the menu. Because of his excellent computer skills, the "foreign" text on it was not a problem for him.
However, the prices that followed were a bit painful. The money he had might only be enough to order a glass of lemonade, but there were complimentary cheese bread and borscht.
After glancing at the menu, he looked at Mu Jiahe. Mu Jiahe was looking down at the menu and ordered two dishes and a steak.
Then, the waiter looked at Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun flipped through the menu and said in Mandarin, "Just give me a seven-point cooked sirloin steak."
The waiter spoke in "foreign" language, "We have fresh caviar and tender foie gras. Would you two like some?"
Xiao Xun couldn't stand the tone any longer and asked the waiter, "Excuse me, can we speak in Mandarin?"
The waiter smiled. "I'm sorry, sir. You can speak in Mandarin, but if we use Mandarin, our wages will be deducted. Thank you for your understanding."
Xiao Xun nodded. "Alright. I don't need anything else."
The waiter began to recommend again, "Would you like something to drink? We have our own brewed fruit wine with a very low alcohol content."
Mu Jiahe looked at the waiter. "Thank you, no. Please bring out the bottle of red wine I have stored here."
The waiter produced a small device similar to an old button phone and held it out with both hands to Mu Jiahe. "Please enter your verification code."