Sexy Ghost (Lily ABO) - Chapter 1

(The main story begins twenty years later, when Xu Jinliang is forty-five years old.)

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After a “safety” incident, this large factory underwent personnel changes.

From temporary workers to the factory director, everyone disappeared. Whether they were transferred, resigned, promoted, or laid off, no one knew. Even those who were on good terms and inquired dared not spread the word; they remained tight-lipped whenever the topic came up.

After a period of stalled operations, the group headquarters likely couldn’t delay any longer and finally dispatched someone to be the new factory director. But when this person arrived, everyone was surprised.

“Isn’t that Ms. Xu?”

“No mistake, you can recognize her at first glance!”

Old Wei looked back, and the several department managers who had been talking immediately fell silent, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

The person who arrived was indeed Xu Jinliang. To this day, she’s even less smooth than she was when she was young. Her increased social status was enough to ensure she didn’t need to waste energy on useless pretense.

Upon her arrival, there was supposed to be a small welcome ceremony for her at the factory, but she merely glanced up at the flag fluttering in the wind, then stepped inside. “Show me around. Unrelated personnel, continue with your work.”

Immediately, the few managers holding red flowers scattered as if granted a great pardon.

Even after seeing Xu Jinliang and Old Wei walk away, they couldn’t help but discuss it. One person said, “How could it be her? Anyone who’s been to the headquarters knows her well, right?”

She truly was a legend; just meeting her would be enough to be awed by her presence. Few who had seen her would ever forget her.

“Yes, it shouldn’t be. As the saying goes, people strive for higher places, and water flows to lower ones…”

“Could it be that she made a mistake and was transferred here?”

“Don’t talk nonsense. Maybe it’s just a stepping stone.”

“Heh, you’re the one who shouldn’t guess. Who at this age would willingly step down? At her age… retirement? Heh, for younger people, you could say it’s a waste of talent. But at her age, she’s probably here to retire.”

Because their factory was genuinely good, a fully developed large factory under the group company, there was no talk of bringing in capable individuals from higher up to reorganize it. Therefore, several people couldn’t help but overthink Xu Jinliang’s appointment as factory director.

Let’s talk about Xu Jinliang, who had just experienced major ups and downs in her life.

A factory—her starting point was a factory, and she truly didn’t expect to end up in a factory again now. She was highly capable and ruthless, having established herself among the top echelons of the group headquarters, but she unexpectedly fell from grace overnight. Her distress wasn’t about feeling wronged or unwilling; it was about having no feeling at all.

She placed her palm on her chest, clearly feeling her heart beating, yet she felt an empty space there, a bottomless pit, where nothing could reach the bottom, with no feedback.

The secretary was tidying the conference table. Old Wei had already left with his people after the meeting. Xu Jinliang stood up and asked him, “Where’s my uniform?”

“Uniform?” The secretary was a bit dumbfounded.

The Xu Jinliang in front of him was wearing a high-end custom suit, likely her attire from headquarters. However, in the factory, besides formal occasions where the leadership would wear formal attire, no one was issued a uniform.

But having worked for a few years, the secretary was not unfamiliar with Xu Jinliang. He knew from Old Wei that she was coming to take over and had even crammed up on her background. He quickly responded, “For uniforms, our factory still has work attire. It will be sent to your office shortly. May I ask your size—?”

Xu Jinliang paused, looking somewhat lost. Then she thought: Yes, times have changed.

Later, in front of the mirror in the restroom, she looked at the older woman in the reflection, whose peach blossom eyes had also been sharpened. She murmured, “Yes, times have changed.”

She slowly extended her hand, her slender fingers nearing the fine lines at the corner of her eyes in the mirror. Just as they were about to touch, she suddenly pulled her fingers back quickly, as if licked by a flame.

Her heart rate uncontrollably and rapidly accelerated. A sudden and terrible feeling of lamenting the passage of life emerged.

This feeling made her very uncomfortable, as if she, having been strong for so long, was suddenly facing disability; as if the power she had always wielded was inevitably disappearing without her knowing.

The finance manager screamed in the restroom and stumbled out, scrambling. When she stood up, she couldn’t help but flush with anger and curse, “That crazy old geezer, why did they choose her?!”

The reason was that Xu Jinliang’s perpetually cold aura had already become something people were accustomed to. But just now, she had laughed wildly and hysterically at her reflection in the mirror. The tall, impeccably dressed older woman seemed possessed, laughing incessantly, which would startle anyone.

This sudden change caused a crowd to gather in the corridor, asking what happened. The department manager pointed to the restroom, but before she could speak, Xu Jinliang calmly walked out.

There was nothing amiss with her, just some redness on her cheeks, like red spots caused by excessive facial pressure compressing capillaries, and her voice was a little hoarse. “Don’t block the pathway.” After saying that, she maintained her full-on powerful aura, her high heels clicking rhythmically as she left.

The next day, Factory Director Xu didn’t come to work. Upon inquiry, it was found that she had gone to attend a funeral.

It was the funeral of Auntie Wang Shuqin. Rumor had it that Xu Jinliang met this auntie when she first started working; she worked in her unit’s cafeteria. After Xu Jinliang came to the south, Wang Shuqin came to seek refuge with her, and over time, they became like family.

The funeral was very grand, and all the attendees were influential. An old woman with no significant contributions couldn’t have known those magnates who frequently appeared on television and in magazines. The reason was none other than Xu Jinliang.

However, each of them wore a somber expression, with little inclination for pleasantries. When the family hosted guests after the funeral, Wang Shuqin’s son incessantly cursed at Xu Jinliang. Director Chao’s brow twitched immediately, and he quickly led his people to excuse themselves and left first.

In the commercial car, Director Zhang took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose, asking, “What do we do about the current situation?”

Director Chang tightly gripped her bag, shaking her head and saying, “Auntie Wang told us to be careful of her! Be careful of her! When she was hospitalized, she warned all of us, and you… you few idiotic men didn’t take Auntie Wang seriously just because she’s an old woman, right?”

Director Chao: “She’s so capable, who’d be willing to not use her?”

Director Chang: “Are you dumbfounded now that something’s happened? I dare to ask: who would dare to call the police to investigate, knowing how closely she’s tied to our group? You? Or you?” She then pointed at Director Zhang, who, still not having put on his glasses, pretended not to see her.

Director Chang: “Playing dumb, are we? Who doesn’t know that Xu Jinliang had you figured out ten years ago? I refuse to believe there’s no one in the shareholders helping her.” By “figured out,” she, of course, wasn’t referring to any messy romantic relationships, but rather her tactics of coercion and inducement.

Director Zhang was indignant; he wasn’t the only one to blame for this mess. He immediately put on his glasses and retorted, “Don’t think we don’t know that you and Xu Jinliang were involved in a homosexual relationship! When you were still in charge, you often traveled abroad with her for business, didn’t you?”

Director Chao: “Exactly! You were the first to try and win her over. Otherwise, the rest of us wouldn’t have been so eager to snatch her up.”

Director Chang suddenly released her grip on her bag. A diamond ring adorned the ring finger of that hand. “Don’t slander me, I’m a married woman.”

Director Liu, who had been silent and had a headache, couldn’t take it anymore. “Both of you, say a few less words. You two are also, acting like less than men, always gossiping about women’s scandals. Stop arguing. Xu Jinliang’s goddaughter has joined the headquarters, hasn’t she? Even if we don’t go through legal channels, we have to deal with her.”

Without Xu Jinliang’s sharp insight and extraordinary courage, their group would not have soared in various rapidly developing industries to become a household name. Of course, her initial bold investments and acquisitions were not smooth, and not everyone had the courage to bear such great risks. But whenever such times arose, a turning point would appear. Sometimes it was due to circumstances, or being forced into a do-or-die situation. It wasn’t until a few of them put aside their differences and talked openly that they speculated Xu Jinliang might have colluded with external forces and then used her control over the group’s influence to achieve her goals.

Xu Jinliang wasn’t demonstrating power or seeking fame and fortune; she was playing—not enjoying achievements, but rather playing with people.