Chapter 49.2: A Little More Touched
Chu Qianmiao didn't take it
seriously. That was just his temper. When he was happy, he was a bright, sunny
little sun. When he wasn't, a cloud blocked the sun and he turned into a gust
of wind.
She waited to see how long Tan
Shen's life would last this time. As it turned out, Tan Shen's "let's
never contact each other again" promise only lasted two days. On the third
day, he happily video-called Chu Qianmiao again.
In the video, he ruffled his hair
to look cool, then broke into a grin that brightened the room's light.
As if he'd lost his memory, he
rambled on about his work over the past two days, how many projects his company
had lined up, and how he was a shining, elite figure in the company.
Chu Qianmiao: "..."
She thought Tan Shen had one good
thing: he could soothe himself when he was angry. When no one praised him, he
could praise himself to the skies.
She finally let him nag her and
wanted to end the video call, and Tan Shen finally got to the point.
He told Chu Qianmiao, "The day
after tomorrow, we're having a high-end gathering for overseas financial
returnees. Can you come with me?"
In the video, his face was
pleading, like a pitiful figure.
Chu Qianmiao thought he looked like
a psychopath.
"You've all studied abroad, so
why would I go?" Chu Qianmiao instinctively declined.
"Are you stupid?" Tan
Shen's expression changed again. "This gathering is filled with current
and future financial giants, big names, and capitalists. Who wouldn't want to
take advantage of the opportunity to network? I wouldn't even let people in
even when they were on their knees, begging me to take them in. Now I'm
offering to take you in, and you're refusing! You're really driving me
crazy!"
When Chu Qianmiao heard this was a
gathering of industry leaders, she felt a little tempted. It was truly a great
opportunity to broaden her horizons.
"Is it appropriate for me to
go? You returnees are always blasting English," she asked uncertainly.
Tan Shen immediately replied,
"Of course! Besides, you've already passed the CET-4 and CET-6, so what
are you afraid of?"
Chu Qianmiao: "..."
She remembered once giving the
CET-4 and CET-6 exams to an international student. The student burst into tears
while doing the reading comprehension test. He said he felt ashamed to be a
foreigner because he couldn't even do CET-4 or CET-6. So what if you passed the
CET-4 or CET-6?!
Chu Qianmiao teased Tan Shen,
"Anyway, if you guys can't control yourself and start speaking English in
front of me, I'm telling you, don't embarrass me. I'll just have to use Youdao
Translate on my phone!"
"Why do you need Youdao
Translate when you have Tan Shen Translate? You're paying Youdao to advertise
for it?" Tan Shen said, ruffling his hair in a coquettish manner and
winking at her. "So, you agree to go?"
Chu Qianmiao nodded,
"Go."
Go and broaden your horizons.
Knowledge is the ladder of human progress. Only by recognizing one's own
shortcomings can one strive for progress, despite the bitterness and
resentment.
Recently, Dong Lan launched an
internal investigation into the Engineering Department and Ji Xia.
Ji Xia was extremely upset by this.
According to a good friend of the
brokerage community, securities agent An Ruda, after the internal investigation
began, Ji Xia ran to Dong Lan's office and caused a scene, his angry roars
audible from far away in the hallway.
Ji Xia accused Dong Lan of
disregarding his dignity and their class ties, and of insulting him in front of
the entire company.
He was furious, saying that Dong
Lan was trampling on his integrity and questioning Dong Lan's right to doubt
him. He lamented how he'd completed countless projects for the company over the
years, generated countless revenue, and earned countless dollars. Yet, as a
veteran employee who had helped Dong Lan establish Jialeyuan, he ultimately
faced suspicion, distrust, and repression. It was truly heartbreaking. He also
threatened Dong Lan to immediately halt the internal investigation and stop
slapping him in the face. Otherwise, he didn't know what he'd do if he got
angry, and it would be disastrous for everyone involved.
An Ruda said that Dong Lan had
always been kind and tolerant to Ji Xia, but this time, she had just gotten
angry. She told Ji Xia that the company's internal investigation was also
intended to silence outsiders. If he had done nothing wrong, he shouldn't be so
upset and shouldn't be afraid of the investigation.
Ji Xia replied, "I'm not upset
because I feel guilty about something I did, but because I feel you're
insulting my dignity! Jingchang Department Store and that bastard Shi Peng say
I'm greedy, so what? If I was, let them sue me! Let them sue me! It would be
amazing if they had evidence!"
Dong Lan calmly stated that the
lawsuit would impact Jialeyuan's IPO process.
Ji Xia said dejectedly, "Oh,
you've completely sold me out to avoid impacting Jialeyuan's IPO!"
Dong Lan said, "You're not
afraid of being sued, so why are you afraid of being investigated by our own
people?"
Ji Xia sneered, "I'd rather
someone outside slap me in the face than you!"
An Ruda wiped the sweat from his
nose and told the people in the due diligence office, "The chairman and
President Ji are really at loggerheads this time. Everyone's privately saying
there might be a major upheaval at the company, and maybe they'll split up. If
President Ji is truly wronged, many employees will stand up for him and follow
him. I'm really scared. I feel like a child whose parents are divorcing, not
knowing who to follow in the future!"
After An Ruda left, Qin Qianyu
closed the door to the due diligence office and began a private discussion with
his staff.
At first, it was just Chu Qianmiao,
Qin Qianyu, Sun Yi, and a few others discussing the matter. Ren Yan sat at his
desk, oblivious to them, like a sage.
Until Chu Qianmiao sighed,
"Dong Lan and Ji Xia used to have such a good relationship, but it's
suddenly become so strained. I've always been curious about the fundamental
reason Dong Lan decided to launch an internal investigation during the weekend
meeting. After all, it was a gamble. What if they lost, even if Ji Xia wasn't
at fault, the company might be torn in two."
Ren Yan suddenly spoke up.
"A three-foot-thick ice
doesn't form overnight."
Chu Qianmiao was startled by the
sound.
"Senior, are you saying...
Dong Lan and Ji Xia didn't suddenly become so strained?" She looked up and
asked Ren Yan across from her.
Ren Yan lowered his eyes to stare
at the computer screen, his long, thick eyelashes casting a faint shadow.
Chu Qianmiao was momentarily
distracted, wondering why a man would have such thick eyelashes. Was he trying
to piss off a woman?
"Who do you think Dong Lan has
a better relationship with, Mr. Liu from the Human Resources Department, or Ji
Xia?" Ren Yan suddenly looked up, catching Chu Qianmiao's gaze
surreptitiously scrutinizing his eyelashes.
Chu Qianmiao was startled for a
moment, then, regaining his composure, replied, "Well... Dong Lan is more
special to Ji Xia."
"More special doesn't mean
better," Ren Yan said.
Qin Qianyu, Sun Yi, and the others
also turned around, listening in on the conversation between Chu Qianmiao and
Ren Yan. They all had strange expressions on their faces.
Chu Qianmiao glanced at their
expressions, a little lost as to the reason behind them. They all seemed to be
perplexed by something.
She turned and looked at Ren Yan,
who was saying, "Dong Lan, Mr. Liu from HR, and Ji Xia are all veterans
who built the company together. Dong Lan doesn't hold back her temper with Mr.
Liu, and she's always scolding him. It's not because Mr. Liu lacks status, but
because Dong Lan doesn't treat him as an outsider. On the contrary, the more
tolerant and tactful Dong Lan is with Ji Xia, the more it shows she's wary and
wary of him."
Chu Qianmiao rested her elbows on
the table, her chin resting on her hand, listening intently as Ren Yan analyzed
the interpersonal relationships among the company's top executives.
Ren Yan suddenly asked, "Can
you tell where Dong Lan's wariness started?"
Suddenly called out, Chu Qianmiao
paused for a moment.
"Did it start...when Ji Xia
started sending people to Jialeyuan's legal department?"
Ren Yan nodded, a look of approval
in his eyes.
"Jialeyuan's engineering
contract approval process requires approval from the Legal Department and then
signature from Ji Xia of the National Engineering Division before the contract
can be executed. He inserted someone into the Legal Department, ultimately to
prevent them from overly interfering with future contract approvals. Since the
Legal Department is his people, he essentially has the final say on
contracts."
"He inserted someone into the
company's Legal Department and signed and executed the 70 million yuan contract
without its approval. From all indications, he's no longer amenable to
supervision."
"You asked why Dong Lan was
determined to launch an internal investigation. It was because the 70 million
yuan engineering contract was executed without the Legal Department's approval.
This omission allowed Ji Xia to profit. That's why Dong Lan ultimately made the
decision."
Chu Qianmiao's heart ached even
more after hearing this. She suddenly realized that there are no perfect
crimes; everything that happens has flaws.
The 70 million yuan contract that
caused so much trouble was, in fact, the flaw itself.
She heard the tapping of fingers on
the table.
She looked up. It was Ren Yan
saying, "I've been talking so much. I'm thirsty."
She quickly stood up and said,
"Senior, let me make you some tea!"
She ran to the tea room.
After a while, Qin Qianyu followed
to get some water.
He still had that surprised look on
his face: "Qian Miao, let me tell you, our CEO Ren has never taught anyone
the intricacies of the workplace so hands-on. So, tell me the truth, are you
about to jump to our company? CEO Ren has really put a lot of effort into
training you! I'm a little jealous!"
Chu Qianmiao was stunned. Her
heartbeat quickened a little. She felt a little moved again.
But this little bit of excitement
wasn't enough. She rushed over to Ren Yan and said, "Hey handsome guy, I'm
single, and you're single too. I kind of like you. Do you like me? If you like
me too, how about we try dating?"
She thought she'd wait until the
attraction got stronger.
Two days later, Chu Qianmiao tied
her hair up and wore her best suit to work.
Ren Yan didn't come to Jialeyuan
that day.
As soon as Qin Qianyu saw Chu
Qianmiao, he asked, "Qianmiao, you're dressed well today. Are you going to
an event?"
Chu Qianmiao smiled and nodded,
saying, "Yes."
Qin Qianyu further complimented her
outfit: "I think you look even better in this than at the Hanhai Home
Textiles IPO reception. It's so cool and stylish!"
Chu Qianmiao was delighted:
"Brother Qin, seriously! I was feeling so bad when I swiped my credit card
to buy clothes! But after you said that, I feel like I didn't spend enough
money. I owed this outfit!"
Before leaving get off work, Tan
Shen texted Chu Qianmiao, saying he was waiting for her at the intersection. He
drove a small car, the kind that was easy to find.
Chu Qianmiao walked towards the
intersection, searching for Tan Shen among the various cars parked on the
roadside.
The Porsche she passed first honked
at her.
Then the car door opened, and Tan
Shen stepped out.
He was wearing a formal suit and
tie, his hair styled handsomely, revealing a smooth forehead.
Chu Qianmiao felt like she didn't
quite recognize the person standing before her. A mature, business-like figure,
a top industry executive.
The executive, standing in front of
the Porsche, snapped his fingers at her, "Qianmiao, over here!"
A passing girl blushed at him, then
turned back to look at her with envy.
As she reached the "little
car," she heard Tan Shen smile and compliment her, "You look really
good today!"
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