Water and Fire~Chapter 60: The Bet

 

Chapter 60: The Bet

Ren Yan asked Chu Qianmiao, "Are you free at noon? Can we meet?"

His tone was calm. From his voice alone, one couldn't tell that he had used violence against anyone the day before.

Chu Qianmiao replied, "Okay."

Her voice was calm and soft, making it impossible for anyone else to understand what she had experienced yesterday.

Chu Qianmiao thought, they were all adults, so restrained.

Ren Yan asked, "I'll come see you at noon. Where are you?"

Chu Qianmiao told him, "I'm at the law firm."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line. Ren Yan knew Chu Qianmiao was strong, but he hadn't expected her to be strong enough to go to work as usual the next day.

He suppressed a sigh and said to Chu Qianmiao, "I'll meet you at the Western restaurant downstairs from your law firm at noon."

The Western restaurant downstairs was packed during lunchtime, so Chu Qianmiao left work twenty minutes early and went downstairs to secure a table.

Upon entering, she was told that the last table had been reserved by a gentleman just ten seconds earlier.

Chu Qianmiao muttered to herself, "What a dreadful ten seconds!"

She had no choice but to call Ren Yan and ask if they could move. Ren Yan gave her a table number. It turned out he was the gentleman who had reserved the last table just ten seconds earlier. Those ten seconds seemed to disappear without a trace.

So, he had arrived so early, too.

Ren Yan had booked a private room. Chu Qianmiao took a deep breath before entering.

Then she walked in gracefully, sat down, and called out, "Mr. Ren," with a smile. Ren Yan looked up at her, and her smile froze.

The corner of his mouth was bruised.

Her heart felt like it was being pierced by a thread, and then it suddenly tightened.

Ren Yan didn't mention how the wound at the corner of his mouth came, nor did he mention that he had helped her teach Qiao Zhixin a lesson. His expression remained as indifferent as ever, and he appeared to be as pure and unselfish as ever.

After ordering and waiting for the steak and foie gras to arrive, Ren Yan spoke calmly.

He was talking about something else.

"I had dinner with Lawyer Zhang last night, and he asked me to come and talk to you about something."

Chu Qianmiao thought that might be why Ren Yan had called her before the incident. She just didn't know what Zhang Teng wanted him to discuss.

"Mr. Ren, go ahead." Chu Qianmiao put down her knife and fork, listening attentively.

"Lawyer Zhang said your situation at the law firm is tough. He said you're interested in switching to investment banking. Coincidentally, he knows we're short on project staff with legal expertise in our investment banking department, so he asked me to see if we could hire you." He finished his speech slowly, his tone so calm it almost sounded cold.

Chu Qianmiao pursed her lips and asked, "Are you trying to give me a backdoor?"

Ren Yan looked at her, raised an eyebrow, "Are you so unsure of yourself?"

His tone was just like the one she'd first met on the project: cold, confrontational, and unpleasant. Fortunately, she didn't torment herself, or she'd almost missed his tone.

"I'm not one to grant special treatment to anyone, so forget about using connections to get you in through the back door. But since Lawyer Zhang has asked me for a favor, I'll definitely give him my blessing. So, you should still submit your resume according to the normal procedures. HR will conduct a preliminary screening, and if you pass, you'll receive an interview invitation. As for the interview, to avoid suspicion, I won't meet you in person. The managing director of another department will interview you. Only if he finds you qualified will you be retained. If you pass all the normal procedures, I'll transfer you to my department." Ren Yan spoke these words in a highly formal manner, sounding devoid of any personal emotion.

Chu Qianmiao was torn between two opinions. When she submitted her resume, she had indeed eliminated Litong Securities because of Ren Yan's connections.

She thought, since Ren Yan had clearly rejected her, if she continued to approach him, it would seem like she couldn't let go. That wouldn't be nice, it wouldn't be cool.

But now, Ren Yan had proactively suggested that she submit her resume to Litong Securities, even saying he could even recruit her into his department. He could actually be more casual than she was. Her casualness was avoiding him, but his casualness was not caring whether she was right under his nose or not.

She saw Ren Yan staring into her eyes as she hesitated. His eyes were so intense that she felt a little overwhelmed, yet she couldn't look away.

"I understand your concerns. You're worried about something going on between you and me, aren't you?" He looked at her with a calm expression and a quiet voice. "But you should know that our company doesn't allow office romances, especially between superiors and subordinates. It's strictly forbidden. So, you don't have to worry about working under me. I'm just your leader, and you're just my subordinate."

Chu Qianmiao understood his subtext in that instant.

If there was still a possibility between us, I wouldn't have asked you to work at Litong, and under me. It's precisely because there's no possibility that you should come.

Chu Qianmiao smiled, a smile that tugged at one of her still slightly swollen cheeks, making it seem a bit painful. "Thank you, Mr. Ren. I'll consider this suggestion, but I'd also like to wait for news from other brokerages' investment banking departments."

Ren Yan frowned slightly, his voice as formulaic as a summary commentary at a regular meeting. "I still recommend you come to Litong. After two consecutive projects, it's not an exaggeration to say that I've single-handedly nurtured you. Besides, you and Qin Qianyu and the others have already developed a very good rapport. If you come, you'll adapt to my work style and get along well with most of the team. You're also quite capable, which will save me a lot of effort. There are so many projects coming up. If I hire someone other than you, I won't have the energy to lead them step by step, and I'll have to rebuild our rapport, which is very troublesome." After a pause, he asked, "Do you understand what I mean?"

Chu Qianmiao felt that perhaps she hadn't learned her reading comprehension very well as a child. She wasn't quite grasping the core of Ren Yan's words.

"You're more afraid of trouble, so it's better to hire me than someone else."

Ren Yan looked at her for a moment before saying, "You were brought up by me, Ren Yan, so you're quite capable. If you want to become even more capable, working for me is undoubtedly the wisest choice. Working for someone else, you might just be a senior manager in a few years, but working for me, you might become another me."

This last sentence moved Chu Qianmiao deeply. She knew Ren Yan was right. If an employee had a capable leader like Ren Yan, one who was willing to teach and give them opportunities, the time it took to take off would be exponentially shortened. But if she went to another brokerage firm's investment banking department and met another He Wei, all her achievements would be attributed to him, and he would be the one to take off, leaving her in a perpetual, exhausting race.

And yet, the workplace was truly filled with He Wei and few Ren Yans.

She solemnly told Ren Yan that she would seriously consider his advice.

After finishing their business, they finished their lunch.

One of them felt a pain in the face, the other in the mouth; neither of them had managed to eat much.

After paying the bill, Ren Yan couldn't resist asking, "Is your face okay?"

Chu Qianmiao smiled at him and shook her head, "It's fine."

Ren Yan looked at her for a moment, then asked, "Qiao Zhixin, what are you going to do?" After a pause, he added, "If you can gather evidence, sue him." His tone was cautious, as if offering only advice.

Chu Qianmiao pondered for a moment, then told him, "Mr. Ren, I'll handle this matter. Don't worry about it."

Ren Yan nodded, "Okay, I won't."

After leaving the restaurant, Chu Qianmiao went upstairs to the law firm. Ren Yan found his car and got in.

As he started the engine, he thought, judging by her expression, she might not be planning to sue Qiao Zhixin. But even if she didn't, he could understand. If there's insufficient evidence to prove Qiao Zhixin intended to assault her last night, she'll ultimately become the victim once the incident becomes a hot topic.

Public opinion will foster a victim-blaming theory. Some will observe the commotion and say, "This incident isn't entirely the fault of the partner. If only she hadn't been working overtime alone, wouldn't that have given him an opportunity to exploit her?" Others will argue, "It takes two to tango. If she hadn't hinted at it beforehand, then a partner like her would have been so quick to act like this." Others will say, "In short, there's no escaping the power of public opinion."

Ultimately, Qiao Zhixin might find success elsewhere, but her career might be plagued by inexplicable criticism.

He'd told her that the workplace was never tolerant of women.

So, no matter what she ultimately decided, whether to sue Qiao Zhixin or not, he understood her.

He started the car, pulled out of the parking space, and merged into the traffic. With a single step on the accelerator, the car barreled forward, its back thrusting forward relentlessly.

In the future, in the business world, there will undoubtedly be a day when Qiao Zhixin will never escape.

After completing the handover procedures during the day, Chu Qianmiao resigned from Xinfeng Law Firm.

Before she left the firm, she unexpectedly received four reluctant glances and regretful farewell wishes from He Wei and Wang Jun.

He Wei said, "Qianmiao, although I won't be with you for long, no matter where you go, you'll still be one of us. Come back often when you have time. I wish you continued success."

Wang Jun said, "Qianmiao, if you ever want to return to Xinfeng, you're always welcome to join my team."

Chu Qianmiao responded to their polite words with a deeply moved look.

Three years ago, she might have taken these words seriously, but not now.

In the two days since leaving Xinfeng, she kept in touch with the receptionist. On the third day, she managed to get information from her: Qiao Zhixin had started working.

The girl at the front desk said his face was bruised and swollen, saying he'd hit a pillar while driving last night. "It was a terrible injury! I took a picture and plan to use it to scare my brother if he doesn't do his homework properly."

Chu Qianmiao ate an extra bowl of rice when she heard how badly Qiao Zhixin had been beaten.

She figured that since he'd been discharged from the hospital and admitted his face was bruised, he wouldn't sue Ren Yan. And Tan Shen, too.

She breathed a sigh of relief.

She could finally move on from Xinfeng and stop worrying about it. Next, she began to seriously consider whether to apply to Litong Securities.

Ren Yan was right, she figured. Litong didn't allow office romances, especially between superiors and subordinates. So, if she joined Litong, Ren Yan's department, it would objectively confirm that there was no potential for a relationship between them; it would simply be a purely professional one.

So, why bother worrying about it and hesitating?

It was as if her realization had sent some electromagnetic signal to Ren Yan. That evening, after she'd eaten an extra bowl of rice, Ren Yan called and asked, "What do you think of my suggestion?"

This was Chu Qianmiao's translation. Ren Yan's original question was a rather arrogant rhetorical question. "Does it take so long to consider a simple suggestion?"

Chu Qianmiao quickly said, "Sorry, Mr. Ren, I've been a bit slow since I got slapped in the face recently."

She realized she had truly emerged from her trauma, even using that slap as a joke.

Ren Yan was silent for a moment, then said coldly, "But you've worn out my patience."

Chu Qianmiao hesitated to utter the "So what?" sarcastically.

She immediately heard Ren Yan ask, "Do you remember the bet we made on the Hanhai Home Textiles project?"

Of course Chu Qianmiao remembered. Her memory was better than his; she could still remember him from the past, but he had forgotten her.

She misjudged human nature on the Hanhai Home Textiles project and lost to Ren Yan. The bet was a request, and as long as the specific content of the request was not illegal, the loser could not refuse.

"Remember," she said.

Ren Yan's voice came steadily through the receiver. "I'm cashing in on the bet now and making a request of you. Submit your resume to Litong Securities tomorrow."

Chu Qianmiao glanced out the window. Snowflakes were actually falling. This was Beijing's first snow of the year.

She looked at the snowflakes slowly falling outside the window and said, "Okay, Mr. Ren."