Chapter
103.1: Still Sweet
After dinner, Chu Qianmiao returned to the hotel, turned on
her computer, and began working overtime.
Based on her afternoon conversations with the company's
secretary and securities affairs representative, as well as her understanding
of the skills and expertise of the three members of Li Si's project department,
she planned to create a detailed project schedule and division of labor. She
needed to clearly outline which tasks should be completed by which timeframe,
which parts of the application should be handled by whom, and which documents,
including the issuer's application report, the underwriting letter, and the
underwriter's due diligence report, should be completed by which timeframe, and
who would be responsible for each content.
She was so absorbed in her overtime work that she couldn't
focus on anything else. It wasn't until Ren Yan called that she realized she
now had another identity: she was no longer just herself; she was also a man's
girlfriend.
But she was so engrossed in her work that her first reaction
forgot the "leader" flashing on the caller ID was her brand-new,
almost-hot boyfriend.
As soon as the call connected, she instinctively called out,
"Mr. Ren."
Ren Yan coldly asked, "What did you call me?"
Chu Qianmiao held the phone, biting her lower lip and
letting out a silent, embarrassed laugh. Then she took a deep breath and
whispered, "Senior."
It was strange, she thought. She used to call him
"Senior" with such confidence and purity. But ever since that day,
when he'd kissed and coaxed her into calling him "Senior," she felt
the word had become corrupted, like a flirtatious term.
She had only just called him that, and her cheeks were
already inexplicably warm.
It was awful, she thought. It's not like she had never been
in love before, but why, at twenty-seven, she was no longer a naive little
girl, and yet she became shy when it came to relationships? So, is it true that
the more you like someone, the more shy you become?
Her "senior" pleased Ren Yan.
Ren Yan's next rhetorical question lacked its usual cold,
lethal force. "What did you promise me yesterday? Have you
forgotten?" he asked.
Chu Qianmiao paused, trying to recall what she had promised
him yesterday. She had been nodding and saying "yeah" a lot these
past two days, and she needed to sort it out.
"I'll report to you every day on the day's
progress," she thought, deciding this was the closest answer.
The boyfriend's voice on the phone was so cold and
artificial, "Then let's get started."
Chu Qianmiao then gave a concise and clear account of what
had happened at the project site that day. She only discussed some of the
company's current situation and nothing else.
After listening to her, Ren Yan was silent for two seconds
on the other end of the line, then asked, "Anything else?"
Chu Qianmiao thought for a moment, feeling that there was
nothing else to add, and said, "No."
Ren Yan paused again, then asked, "Did you encounter
any difficulties with the project?"
Chu Qianmiao replied, "No, everything's going
well."
Ren Yan paused, then patiently inquired more thoroughly,
"How are you getting along with the other three project members from Li
Si's department?"
Chu Qianmiao suddenly understood what Ren Yan was worried
about. He had anticipated what would be the first challenge she would face on
this project: that because of her gender, age, and appearance, others would
question her abilities and be less convinced of her.
He had anticipated these developments and, mindful of her
pride, avoided direct questions, instead using gentle persuasion to coax her
into answering.
Her heart warmed. She wondered how this handsome man,
despite his often expressionless face, could be so thoughtful and kind.
She was deeply touched, and then insisted, "I get along
quite well with them all. Of the three of them, Gu Kai is a senior manager, on
my level. The other two male colleagues are lower-ranking than me, project
managers. So I still hold some weight on the project." She deliberately
added a lighthearted tone to the last sentence.
After a pause, her voice softened. She called out,
"Senior," and added, "I know what you're worried about. You're
worried they won't obey me. But don't worry, don't even think about secretly
helping me. I can handle this myself."
His voice also sounded hoarse, as if soothed by the soft
"Senior." "Okay, I won't help you." After a pause, he
added, "But if you encounter a problem or bottleneck that you truly can't
overcome, remember to ask me."
Chu Qianmiao hummed.
"Also," Ren Yan concluded, "remember what I
told you after dinner yesterday: while a private placement is much easier than
an initial public offering, there are still many small, trivial things to pay
attention to when actually doing it."
Chu Qianmiao understood Ren Yan's meaning immediately. In
fact, her thoughts coincided with his.
This was a share issuance project for a listed company.
Listed companies operate relatively regulated, so major problems were unlikely.
Therefore, she essentially had no chance to demonstrate her skills in turning
the tide on a major event.
But she understood that talent didn't necessarily manifest
on major issues. Projects are full of minor, niggling issues that are easily
overlooked. Often, these minor issues, once discovered, can lead to penalties
from regulatory authorities. At that point, they're no longer minor; they
become major problems.
Thus, starting with small issues can better test the
solidity of a practitioner's professional abilities.
So, he told her to pay attention to the small details.
Chu Qianmiao softly replied, "Okay," holding the
phone. Her voice was the kind of sweetness reserved for her boyfriend, causing
the person on the other end to unexplained distraction.
At that moment, another voice came from the receiver,
calling out to Ren Yan, "Hey, Mr. Ren, why are you hiding here? You were
staring at your phone the whole time we were eating. Were you waiting for an
important call? Are you done with it? If you are, come back to the table with
me. This is our first reunion dinner, and it wouldn't be complete without
you."
Chu Qianmiao felt an inexplicable sweetness in her heart as
she listened to these words.
It was hard for her to imagine that Ren Yan, once so aloof,
so rational, so indifferent, and so high on the altar, could now become just
like an ordinary person, constantly checking his phone for a call. And this man
had fallen from grace for her.
She heard Ren Yan quickly say goodbye to her because someone
else was around, his tone businesslike. "Remember what I just told you.
Okay, that's it for now."
Chu Qianmiao hung up the phone and continued working
overtime. Her boyfriend's call had invigorated her.
But just after typing two lines on the computer, another
message from Ren Yan arrived.
"Because someone else was around, I had to use that
tone."
Chu Qianmiao's heart leaped with joy as she read the
message.
He even had to explain it to her.
She wondered what to do. This man was going to kill her with
his sweetness.
Chu Qianmiao had already planned every step forward that
afternoon.
First, she needed to determine what kind of person Gu Kai
was. From what she had heard him say about his relationship with Xia Fengyong,
she could tell he and Xia Fengyong were not on the same page. Furthermore, he
hadn't brought up Xia Fengyong's situation to gossip, but to tell her that Xia
Fengyong was a ruthless, unscrupulous person capable of anything, and that she
needed to be wary of him. Later, he'd proven that Xia Fengyong was indeed
capable of anything. That scumbag had now left a wound on her boyfriend's
beautiful, muscular, and lean arm. He was simply a jerk.
Through this incident, she had made a preliminary assessment
that Gu Kai was a pretty good person. But it was only a preliminary assessment.
She was no longer the overly emotional, passionate young
woman she'd been working on the Hanhai Home Textiles project three years ago.
She had already learned 50% of Ren Yan's rationality from him.
She now needed to rationally determine what kind of person
Gu Kai was at work: whether he took all the credit or shared the blame. After
finalizing the project schedule and division of labor, she emailed the
documents to Gu Kai without telling anyone else. She then called him and said,
"Gu Kai, I've created two documents and sent them to your email. Based on
my observations, I've created a division of labor for everyone. The details are
laid out in a detailed table. I've also listed the priorities and precautions
for each person's responsibilities. Please review them to see if there are any
additions or changes you need."
Gu Kai quickly agreed and said he would take a look.
About an hour later, she received a message from Gu Kai,
saying, "I'm not sure if you've had a rest. I didn't call because I didn't
want to disturb you. I've reviewed the two documents you created. They're
excellent and comprehensive. I don't have anything to add. I'll send them to
everyone later."
An email popped up in her mobile inbox a moment later.
It was Gu Kai who sent the other two emails, stating,
"The two attached documents were prepared by Manager Chu. They contain the
project schedule and division of labor. The division of labor is clearly
outlined. Let's all proceed according to this division of labor."
That evening, a message and an email completely changed Chu
Qianmiao's understanding of Gu Kai.
He hadn't called her to rest, so he'd sent her a message
instead. He was a thoughtful and considerate person. His email had initially
clarified that she had prepared the documents and that he wasn't taking all the
credit.
With these two points confirmed, Chu Qianmiao knew how to
proceed.
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