Chapter 264 A Talk in the Evening
“Sure, it’s just the four of us.”
A small voice, crisp and pleasant to the ear echoed through the restaurant.
The two turned around and looked down to see a little boy in a suit and smart shoes standing behind them.
"Charlie!"
"How come you're here?"
"Did you follow us all the way?"
Charlie nodded: "Yep, I overheard at the kindergarten gate that you were coming here for barbecue, so I asked the driver to follow along.
Anna, that's not cool of you. Why didn’t you bring me to eat barbecue too. I could get mad, you know."
The little guy crossed his arms and feigned anger.
Anna furrowed her pretty brows.
Was this really about bringing him or not? She couldn't have brought him.
She said, "Did you let your daddy and mommy know? If they find out you didn't go home, they'll worry."
Charlie replied, "Don't worry, my daddy never stops me from socializing. He even teaches me how to get along well with my classmates. Coming here for barbecue is just about improving relationships with my peers."
So that meant he hadn’t asked for permission...
Anna found herself at a loss for words momentarily.
Sara laughed and said, "Hey! It's even better that Charlie came! Just shoot Mr. Vittorio a text, Anna, and we can drop Charlie off on our walk later."
With that, she took Penny by one hand and Charlie by the other, and said to the waiter, "Hello, yes, we're a party of four."
"Very well, please come this way."
Anna was speechless.
She was happy that Charlie joined them for the barbecue; he was her son; after all, she liked him a lot. Unbeknownst to Charlie, Anna’s desire to spend time with him was stronger than his desire to spend time with her.
However, Charlie was connected to Giorgio and Katherine, and she didn't want to reach out to that jerk.
Unfortunately, there was no turning back now, so she had to take out her phone and message him.
[Hello, Mr. Vittorio, Charlie heard we were going to eat barbecue and joined us. Don't worry, after eating, we'll make sure he gets home safely.]
After sending the message, she walked inside.
The table was filled with fresh beef, chicken, sausages, bell peppers, onions, zucchini, and asparagus, each item looked vibrant and fresh.
The two little ones sitting at the table were all smiles and laughs, "Charlie, you look so cool. A lot of little girls came to say hi to you today."
"You're cute too. Lots of boys brought you candy. But... you can't accept things from them anymore. Whatever you want, I'll buy it for you."
"Really? Can I also have ice cream?"
"Of course, anything you want."
"That's great! Then Charlie, you can accept gifts from girls and then give them to me; I won't mind."
The two kids went back and forth, embodying the innocence and purity of childhood to the fullest.
Watching them talk so happily was exceptionally heartwarming and endearing.
Anna couldn't help but smile. If only the little ones could always be together like this.
But for now, she was very content.
'Ding!' A text message notification sounded from a cell phone nearby.
It was a message from Giorgio.
Anna wiped her hands clean, picked up the phone, unlocked it, and then saw the content of the text message.
[Let's talk tonight.]
Talk? About what?
Anna felt nervous, apprehensive, and a little resistant.
Having a meal with her children could never be simple, huh?
Nevertheless, the decision was made, and all she wanted was to enjoy the present. The rest could wait until later.
She turned off the phone and continued to joyfully eat barbecue with everyone.
This was a bustling, down-to-earth barbecue restaurant frequented by regular office workers. No one paid attention to who was around them, nor did they care.
Moreover, Anna was dressed simply, and her hair was draped over her face, making her appear ordinary and indistinguishable from the other customers. Even without a mask, no one recognized that she looked just like Katherine.
However, after the meal, a figure hurried over.
"Hey! Nana, you guys are eating here too?"
Anna turned to see it was the chubby girl. She felt relieved that she had already put on her mask and started feeling a bit awkward inside.
Sara had given her a hard time in the morning, and here she was at a barbecue in the evening.
She forcefully squeezed out a smile, "Yeah, Sara and I are celebrating since I'm starting work officially tomorrow. We've just finished eating; what about you?"
"I've just arrived," said the chubby girl with a friendly attitude. "So, you're starting your job tomorrow? You'll definitely need to give it your all! Otherwise, if you don't meet the performance targets, you could be fired and have to pay a penalty."
"A penalty?" Anna hadn't heard about this from the person in charge.
The chubby girl said, "You really didn't know? Then come sit with us, and I'll explain."
They sat down at a window seat, and after the chubby girl ordered, she explained the company’s policy carefully, “The company has a policy that provides a guaranteed minimum salary for every contracted artist. If you meet the performance goals, you not only get the guaranteed amount but also a commission. Many streamers have a base guarantee of several hundred thousand but actually earn millions.
But... there are many little sufferers who fail and go unnoticed by everyone. They can't complete their targets, so they don't get a single penny in wages and have to pay back all the company's investment and training costs. Some can't afford it and end up indebted to the company for life.
This clause is right in the middle of the contract, invisible to those who don't look closely. If you don't believe me, go back and check clause 36."
Horrified, Anna quickly took out her phone, pulled up the contract from her email, and scrolled to clause 36.
"It's really there! No wonder I felt something was off when the manager was so eager for me to sign. I thought, with so many people signing with the company, there couldn't be any issues, so I didn't look carefully. The trap was right here."
Sara couldn't help but slap her face, "How could you not read such an important contract carefully; you’re selling yourself without even knowing it?"
Anna blamed herself, "I never expected such a big company would have such a pitfall. What do I do now? Should I ask if I can cancel the contract?"
"That's definitely not possible," the chubby girl interrupted before Sara could answer, explaining, "Even if you cancel, you'd have to pay a penalty fee, which isn't worth it. It's better to give it your all and try your hardest! Nana, cheer up! You've got to believe in yourself; you can do it."
Anna wanted to cheer up too, but meeting a target of ten million was not easy.
Noticing that Anna looked worried, Charlie's brow furrowed, and a plan began to form in his mind, "Anna, shall we head back?"
Anna then remembered the two kids were still with her; she couldn't let them see her look downcast, "Sure. Let's go!"
She took the children's hands and left the restaurant after saying goodbye to the chubby girl.
Sara decided that she didn't want to be a third wheel, so she excused herself, "Anna, you take Charlie home. I'll walk Penny back. Let's think about the contract in the meantime; we'll talk when you get back."
"Okay." Without overthinking it, Anna had the children say goodbye and drove Charlie home.
As soon as they got into the car, Charlie spoke mysteriously, "Anna, it's so hard for a newcomer to meet performance goals, but... I have a way that will ensure you pass."
"Oh? How?"
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