It had rained all night yesterday. By early morning, a corner of blue sky had appeared in the southeast. The vast mist among the layers of mountains and ridges had not yet dispersed. Chen An followed a group of young monks practicing martial arts among the dense forests and bamboo groves.

After finishing the exercises, the old abbot came to lecture the young monks. The theme was “attachment to self” and “attachment to dharma,” teaching everyone to break free from fixed views and obsessions.

Chen An listened very attentively and even took notes. While writing, he suddenly remembered someone saying “Let me see what you wrote.” He couldn’t help but laugh.

The old abbot, in front of a group of children, pointed at him and said: “Look, this is attachment.”

Later, the old abbot digressed to talk about the Bodhisattva’s heart for a while.

Tang Xin sent over the supplementary investigation results about Huang Tiangou.

The investigation report mainly covered four points: Huang Tiangou had low capabilities and was good at flattery, with decent connections in the industry; he was jealous and liked to suppress capable subordinates; he was suspected of taking bribes, though substantial evidence had not yet been obtained; his private morals were poor—he liked to seduce married women. Two years ago there had been an office sexual harassment complaint, which Tongda didn’t handle. Afterward, Huang Tiangou had restrained his behavior somewhat on his own turf.

Chen An carefully reviewed this internal anonymous complaint. The woman who was harassed had resigned and emigrated before filing the complaint. The investigation company suspected she had written and submitted this anonymous letter, but Chen An didn’t think so. First, since everyone would suspect it was her doing, the anonymity seemed like trying to hide something obvious. Moreover, she had already emigrated and didn’t have such great concerns. Second—the wording of the complainant’s letter very much had Cheng Lele’s style. If she dared to take sides in front of leadership at the cost of her career after just over two years on the job, then during her rookie period when first entering the workplace, she could also report and expose the truth about a colleague’s resignation.

Chen An didn’t have a vengeful personality. Because he kept a low profile, he even gave people the impression of being a modest gentleman.

However, after reading the email, Chen An consciously began plotting how to strike back at Huang Tiangou. He didn’t mind Tongda deceiving him, but he minded about Cheng Lele’s past, present, and future.

As long as he used the name of the President of Peace and Joy to continuously pressure Tongda, Tongda could definitely terminate their labor contract with Huang Tiangou. This would be easy to accomplish.

But male “private morals” issues weren’t fatal wounds in the workplace. On the contrary, some paternalistic companies could even band together and take pride in it. With his climbing skills, perhaps he could still make a comeback in the circle.

To blow up the private morals issue and mobilize public opinion would force certain women and families to be involuntarily dragged into disputes. Some women who should be victims might even become laughingstocks. Moreover, Cheng Lele’s complaint letter would be implicated. Very few companies would be willing to employ someone who stirred up waves for the company, for leadership, and brought negative impact.

Cheng Lele wanted to go to distant places, to high grounds. She shouldn’t be dragged into a filthy sewer by such trash.

He still needed to think this matter through carefully.

Because he was thinking so intently, he didn’t hear Buddhist verses like “regarding all sentient beings as parents, brothers, sisters, men, women, relatives and friends. For their liberation and escape from the cycle of birth and death, even to the point of causing them to generate the three types of Bodhi mind.”

After the lecture ended, the old abbot came to play chess with him again.

Chen An had just laid out the chess pieces when a voice call rang. It was Cheng Lele.

Chen An’s hand paused. He answered. Cheng Lele’s cheerful voice came through: “Little brother, when are you coming back?”

Chen An’s irritable, depressed mood was instantly soothed by Cheng Lele, like a cat with raised fur being stroked smooth.

The old abbot moved a pawn first. Chen An followed suit and pushed one forward too, asking gently: “What’s wrong?”

Because it was the first time hearing Chen An speak in this tone, the old abbot raised his head and didn’t move any more chess pieces.

Cheng Lele excitedly shouted on the other end of the phone: “Today someone came to discuss booking the theater! A historic moment! It would be great if you could witness it.”

Chen An thought it must be Quan Zirong taking action.

Originally this arrangement was to make Cheng Lele happy, but just last night Cheng Lele had shown him her determination to train, temper herself, and grow. Chen An couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty. He resolved to cheat only this once. Of course, retaliating against Huang Tiangou shouldn’t count as cheating—that should fall under the category of eliminating harm for the people.

Chen An expressed exaggerated surprise and admiration: “That’s great news.”

“Yeah.” Cheng Lele said excitedly: “Thirty yuan per seat. For one screening in the smallest hall with about a hundred seats, that’s three thousand. Including snacks and such, it could be four or five thousand.”

“That’s all?”

Look at little brother with his high standards and low skills. Sometimes the box office for an entire Monday was only six or seven thousand—miserable enough already. How dare he disdain the theater booking money as too little?

Cheng Lele said: “The money is a bit little, but it’s very significant. It means the cinema finally has some popularity. Little brother, do you think I can close this deal?”

Chen An, thinking this was Quan Zirong’s doing, encouraged her very confidently: “Others might not be able to, but you definitely can.”

“Little brother, so you think so highly of me?” Even as Cheng Lele said this, she secretly sighed that love really made people blind. “Too bad you can’t make it. That client is arriving at noon.”

An hour later, Chen An had scheduled a video conference with MGM executives. He decided to push it back. Since it was all for work, he pushed it back without any psychological burden and said: “From what you’re saying, this sounds like a big deal. I can make it. I’ll be there right away.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah.” After hanging up, Chen An discovered the old abbot had already left.