Chapter 19.3: Do You Have a Boyfriend?
That afternoon, Chu Qianmiao received a message from Ren Yan
asking what size shoe she wanted.
Chu Qianmiao was flattered, overwhelmed, and utterly
overwhelmed. She quickly replied, "Mr. Ren, you don't have to pay for the
shoes or socks. You really don't have to!"
Thankfully, Ren Yan didn't insist.
She was almost scared to death. If the first pair of shoes
she received from the opposite sex came from Ren Yan, oh my god, that would be
too much.
What if another man gave her shoes in the future and she
turned her back on them?
—She feared she would look down on the person who gave her
the shoes.
During the subsequent coaching period, Chu Qianmiao's
primary job remained on-site due diligence, collecting company documents in
accordance with due diligence guidelines and coordinating with the brokerage
firm to address the company's issues.
During this period, Ren Yan and Zhang Teng didn't come every
day; usually, Chu Qianmiao and Qin Qianyu would provide on-site coordination.
One day, Chu Qianmiao paused and reflected: She had been
working on this project for over six months and had changed her clothes almost
three seasons. She felt she had made progress during this time, and this made
her feel a little secretly happy.
But when she watched Qin Qianyu giving training to company
staff, she felt her secret joy was a little embarrassing.
According to listing requirements, during the coaching
period, the coaching institution was required to provide training on listing
regulations and the securities market to the company's directors, supervisors,
actual controllers, and shareholders holding more than 5% of the shares. Chu
Qianmiao also attended the training in the company auditorium that day.
She sat in the auditorium below, listening to Qin Qianyu's
presentation. On stage, Qin Qianyu spoke with confidence and ease, citing cases
as easily as discussing the weather—his presentation was both humorous and
informative. She then asked Tang Yi, who was sitting next to her, "Can you
all speak like that?"
Tang Yi nodded and told her, "The three of us are a
little behind Qin Qianyu, but not by much." After a pause, he added, his
face brimming with confidence and pride, "We were all trained by President
Ren. After his tireless training, none of us are pushovers. Those trained by
President Ren are always capable of delivering results!"
Chu Qianmiao looked at Tang Yi's proud face and suddenly
felt a surge of envy. She felt that Qin Qianyu and Tang Yi were truly lucky to
have a leader like Ren Yan at the investment bank, someone who could guide them
through rapid career advancement. It was then that she clearly realized how far
she still lay ahead of the elite.
If she were to speak on stage now, she could certainly be
humorous, but she would never be able to deliver the practical examples with
the same ease that Qin Qianyu could.
So, she knew that in the vast training ground of the
workplace, the road to advancement and ascension was still long, and she needed
constant effort.
Halfway through her mentoring period, Chu Qianmiao returned
to the law firm to report to Zhang Teng on the recent project progress.
While she was looking for Zhang Teng, Cheng Xiaodong
happened to be emerging from his office. Having not seen Cheng Xiaodong for a
while, Chu Qianmiao felt a surge of joy and affectionately called her,
"Sister Xiaodong!"
Cheng Xiaodong smiled upon seeing her, but her smile shone
with a hint of haggardness that couldn't be concealed by her powder.
Chu Qianmiao had heard that her project had been plagued by
numerous setbacks, forcing Zhang Teng to step in and help her deal with many of
the troublesome matters. Consequently, Zhang Teng had been spending less time
on the Hanhai project recently, his primary focus absorbed by Cheng Xiaodong's
project.
Chu Qianmiao asked Cheng Xiaodong with concern, "Sister
Xiaodong, why do you look so haggard? Is that project of yours incredibly
exhausting?"
Cheng Xiaodong sighed. "Don't even mention it. It's
such a freak project! If Lawyer Zhang hadn't been there to help me, I'd have
collapsed! Have you ever seen an IPO project where the accountant's opinion
trumps the brokerage underwriter's? And this accountant who's making all the
decisions isn't even the signing accountant, yet he managed to make the female
brokerage underwriter cry in a meeting! The company's CFO is even more
powerful, arguing with me. The company's legal department isn't idle either,
picking on the appraiser and arguing endlessly. It's a complete mess! This
company can't even find an opponent in this argument, yet you let the legal
department argue with me and the CFO argue with the accountant—at least they're
on the same page! And the underwriter, too—why is she even working on a project
if she's so tearful? It's so fucking exhausting!"
Chu Qianmiao was stunned by what she heard. She now deeply
resonated with something Zhang Teng had once said to her: if the insurance
agent on an IPO project was more assertive and capable, other intermediaries
would benefit greatly.
Looking at it this way, she felt like she was working on a
truly magical project. Any problems would be handled by Ren Yan, and Zhang Teng
wouldn't even have a chance to intervene, let alone suffer any consequences.
Cheng Xiaodong left, but before leaving, she returned to
Zhang Teng, worriedly asking, "Lawyer Zhang, are you coming to the project
tomorrow? Are you sure?"
Only after receiving Zhang Teng's affirmative response did
she leave, sighing every few steps.
Chu Qianmiao knocked on the door, entered, and briefed Zhang
Teng on the situation at Hanhai.
After hearing her report, Zhang Teng breathed a sigh of
relief. "Thankfully, the Hanhai project is easy to work on, otherwise I'd
be losing all my hair." He checked his schedule and said to Chu Qianmiao,
"I'll be working on Cheng Xiaodong's project for the time being. You've
been handling Hanhai very well, which reassures me. I'll go over if there's
anything else or a meeting. You'll have to hold the position for a while. You
can leave after the brokerage firm leaves the site."
Chu Qianmiao nodded immediately. "That's right."
She actually quite enjoyed staying in Hanhai's due diligence office. She
chatted and talked with Qin Qianyu and the other four every day, improving her
skills. Occasionally, Ren Yan would come over to give them a little push, but
it was actually quite enjoyable.
Leaving Zhang Teng's office, Chu Qianmiao ran into Qiao
Zhixin, a partner from the office next door.
His eyes lit up when he saw Chu Qianmiao. He put on his
favorite half-smile, shook his head in a teasing way, and sighed, "It's
only been a short while since we last met, and look at our little Chu, she's
getting even more beautiful!"
He waved at Chu Qianmiao, "Come on, little Chu, it's
perfect. Help me with a document I need soon. All my people are on the project,
and I'm really shorthanded!"
Chu Qianmiao pondered whether to refuse. Although she was
Zhang Teng's mentor, Qiao Zhixin was still a partner. If she refused Qiao
Zhixin's offer, it would be like inviting Zhang Teng to a fight. But if she
didn't refuse his request, she felt that Qiao Zhixin's gaze towards her was not
entirely pure.
After weighing the pros and cons, she decided that a look
wouldn't kill or steal anyone's money, so she could just reject his gaze and
try not to make any enemies for Zhang Teng.
So she said, "Okay, Qiao Lu."
Qiao Zhixin opened his office door and made a gesture of
affection towards her.
As she stepped inside, Qiao Zhixin leaned close to her ear
and whispered, "Does Xiao Chu have a boyfriend?"
Chu Qianmiao felt a chill run down her spine at the
question.
She felt a faint sense of discomfort, paused, and retreated.
At that moment, Zhang Teng's office door opened.
"Hey, Old Qiao, why are you forcing my people to work
again?"
Qiao Zhixin smiled. "Hey, no way. I was just chatting
with Xiao Chu and asked her if she had a boyfriend!"
Chu Qianmiao, vaguely sensing something, quickly
interrupted, "Qiao Lu, I have a boyfriend!"
Qiao Zhixin looked at her, curled his lips, and said to
Zhang Teng, "Look at these girls these days—it's so early for them to be
in a relationship! We're all in our thirties and still single!"
Zhang Teng retorted, "No, you're single, but I'm
not!" He waved at Chu Qianmiao. "Don't you still have to work on the
project? Get busy!"
Chu Qianmiao walked away, feeling saved.
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