Chapter 137 - Hu Jing's Troubles

Ye Fan, with no choice left, picked up the microphone to sing, asking Ma Zhengyou to select Xu Wei’s “Hometown”.

“Xu Wei’s ‘Hometown’!” Ma Zhengyou deliberately called out loudly, aiming to draw Hu Jing’s attention, and then helped Ye Fan queue up the song.

Fang Yueyun enthusiastically clapped her hands.

Hu Jing’s pretty face blossomed with a charming smile, her sensual lips curled in a provocative smirk, hinting at amusement.

As the melody’s introduction began to play, Ye Fan, holding the microphone and smiling lightly, said again, “No matter how well I sing, you all have to give me a round of applause for encouragement.”

“Manager Ye will definitely sing beautifully!” Ma Zhengyou and Fang Yueyun shouted insincerely.

They believed that Ye Fan was bound to be tone-deaf, with off-pitch singing inevitably occurring.

Hu Jing laughed seductively, “Don’t worry, the applause will definitely be there.”

She sat on the sofa, her two long, beautiful legs naturally crossed, her smile cunning yet betraying a confident smugness.

As the department’s manager, despite her appearance of having everything under control and not taking Ye Fan very seriously, she was actually quite wary of him.

In the same department, it’s common for subordinate leaders with connections to challenge the authority of the main leaders, report behind their backs, and undercut them, a frequent occurrence in the workplace.

Especially since the Emali Group is a private enterprise, and Ye Fan’s connections stem from Li Zhaojun, who now firmly holds the reins of the company’s board.

If one day she found herself in an irreconcilable conflict with Ye Fan, she could very well be the one to leave.

Hence, she was more than willing to weaken Ye Fan’s presence in the department, undermine his credibility, and strengthen her own leadership position.

Of course, such matters had to be done stealthily, without letting Ye Fan catch on.

However!

“The setting sun on the horizon once again falls upon my face,

Again reflecting my restless heart…”

As the deep and magnetic baritone voice began to ring out, the mischievous smile on her pretty face instantly froze.

What off-pitch, tone-deaf singing was this?

With just the very first line, he had already deeply hooked the audience’s emotions, allowing them to cleanse their souls along with the melody.

“Sounds great!

So good!” Ma Zhengyou and Fang Yueyun were initially stunned but then vigorously applauded and cheered right after Ye Fan paused to take a breath, having finished the first line.

However, Ye Fan didn’t care.

He was completely immersed in the mood of the song “Hometown.”

The first time he heard “Hometown,” it resonated greatly with his inner world.

Although he was barely twenty-two years old, his understanding of “hometown” had long surpassed that of the average person.

He left home to join the army at sixteen, and at eighteen, he became part of the elite “Dragon Group” and was sent abroad to the war-torn regions of Africa.

In Africa, there were attacks from enemies with bullets and artillery, threats of death from the continent’s harsh natural conditions.

An insignificant poisonous insect, a hidden venomous snake, or a scoop of contaminated drinking water could all claim the life of a battle-hardened soldier.

In such harsh natural conditions, battling enemies, fighting for survival without a chance to return home for years, living almost like savages—all to protect the overseas interests of their motherland, stabilizing the supply of resources needed for the country’s development.

Comrades fell one after another; many never had the chance to return home after leaving and stayed forever on that uncivilized continent.

If there was no chance of cremation, even if a body was buried deep, it might be dug up and devoured by the hideous hyenas rampant across Africa.

Yet, they died for their country but received no fame in death.

Because the Dragon Group was not to be seen in the light of day.

In those difficult, desperate days and nights, when the future was uncertain, Hometown became the only belief for Ye Fan and his companions.

The motherland is the hometown, the hometown is the motherland!

“…Always in dreams, I see myself on the road back home

You stand under the sunset, your beauty so delicate and bright

That is your dress fluttering in the wind

That is your gentleness like water…”

Having finished the song, Ye Fan raised his head to prevent the hot tears swirling in his eyes from spilling over.

A man, a true man, should shed blood, not tears!

Ma Zhengyou and Fang Yueyun were moved to tears, and even after Ye Fan sang the last word, they were still immersed in the song.

Even Hu Jing, who began with ill intentions, was deeply touched by Ye Fan’s singing.

Not until the song’s last note faded and the next song “Xi Shua Shua” automatically started playing, with its cheerful intro pulling everyone back to reality.

Clap clap clap…

Ma Zhengyou and Fang Yueyun started clapping vigorously, shouting, “That was amazing!

Fantastic!”

They no longer looked at Ye Fan merely as a relation-appointed deputy leader.

Hu Jing couldn’t help but clap gracefully, a charming smile on her lovely face.

Although her own intentions had been embarrassingly foiled, rather than undermining Ye Fan’s credibility, she inadvertently increased Ma Zhengyou’s and Fang Yueyun’s fondness for him.

Yet she could not bring herself to be angry.

His voice had indeed captivated her, sparking a hint of curiosity about Ye Fan.

Ye Fan turned around and smiled at everyone, saying, “Hehe, thank you all for the applause.”

“Manager Ye, sing another one!” Fang Yueyun called out, her eyes revealing an unusual, dreamy sparkle.

“Yes, another one, it was so good to listen to!” Ma Zhengyou echoed loudly.

Hu Jing felt secretly frustrated, considering that she had sung for an hour and a half, her throat almost on fire, without seeing Fang Yueyun and the others so enthusiastically cheering.

Especially Ma Zhengyou, whose excitement she found unforgivable.

Nevertheless, as a leader, she had to show her magnanimity.

So, with that attractive smile still on her face, she said to Ye Fan, “Yes, Ye Fan, sing another one, please.”

Ye Fan smiled wryly and shook his head, saying, “Ever heard of ‘flashing in the pan’?

Actually, I practiced this song quite a lot, just to wow the room at KTV.

If I keep singing, I’ll reveal my lack of skill.”

With that, he walked back to the sofa, put down the microphone, and indicated he would not sing again.

Fang Yueyun and Ma Zhengyou felt a wave of disappointment, while Hu Jing secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

If Ye Fan kept on singing, he might conquer Fang Yueyun and Ma Zhengyou with his voice, making it harder to diminish his presence later on.

For the remainder of the time, Hu Jing stopped singing, opting instead to chat casually and drink tea with Ye Fan.

She knew well that despite being a karaoke enthusiast, her singing was mediocre at best.

With Yu Zhu having set the bar, further attempts on her part could only underscore her lack of aptitude as a leader.

The evening concluded around ten thirty.

Coming out of the KTV, Fang Yueyun and Ma Zhengyou took cabs home, while Ye Fan and Hu Jing each drove back to their own places.

On the way home, Hu Jing reflected on Ye Fan’s every move that night, rubbing her temples with slender, jade-like fingers, feeling somewhat troubled.

Initially, she had deduced from Ye Fan’s file and the fact that he had only returned to the new company after a few days that he was one of those aimless, incompetent people coasting on relationships, simply in need of minimizing his presence in the department.

But now it seemed her judgment was clearly wrong.

Although she had yet to assess Ye Fan’s capabilities in handling work, his interpersonal skills were evidently not weak.

“Do I need to change the way I treat him?” Hu Jing pondered.