Water and Fire~Chapter 126: Is She My Sister-in-Law?

 

Chapter 126: Is She My Sister-in-Law?

Ren Yan and Chu Qianmiao were the only ones left in the office.

Chu Qianmiao sat across from Ren Yan at his desk. He sat in his leather chair.

They had sat face to face like this countless times over the past three years. But this time, perhaps, was the last time.

Ren Yan smiled at her first.

Then he turned serious and called her by name, "Qianmiao." He said, "Listen carefully to what I'm about to say."

Chu Qianmiao responded to his call, and his words unconsciously straightened her already straight back even further.

With only the two of them in the room, the atmosphere inexplicably took on a tragic and solemn quality.

"Although we're broken up now, I want to tell you that from the day we were together, I've decided that you'll stay and I'll leave." He suddenly shook his head, a smile curling up one corner of his mouth. "No, from the day I made you pass the exam, I've decided that you'll stay and I'll leave."

Chu Qianmiao was stunned.

She didn't realize she was staring at Ren Yan with her eyes wide open, unblinking. The stunned surprise in her eyes made his heart ache.

"Yes, from that day on, all I've done is pave the way for you. I hoped that one day when I left, you'd take over my position and become the head of Project 1. Now that vision can finally be realized. After I leave, you'll be promoted from Business Director to Managing Director, the head of Project 1."

Chu Qianmiao's eyes widened, a hint of mist forming in them.

"But my qualifications aren't as good as Brother Qin's," she said.

Ren Yan looked her in the eye and said, "But you're more capable than he is. You're more capable than anyone else in the department."

He looked at her and smiled.

She had never seen so many smiles on his face, two corners of his mouth raised simultaneously.

"I promoted you to director because you're scheming. You're another me. If I'm gone, only you can save the department. You have to protect everyone. Qianyu can't do that. He lacks your courage and decisiveness. When big things happen, he'll be overwhelmed."

He saw doubt in her eyes.

He explained, "Promoting you to department head is indeed difficult. You're too young and a woman. So, from the day I decided to leave and you stayed, I've been waiting and creating opportunities, letting everyone who can help you today see your abilities in advance. Fortunately, now, when I leave, they can all recommend you, allowing you to smoothly be promoted to department head."

Chu Qianmiao was stunned. A mist formed in her eyes, blurring the image of Ren Yan across from her.

But her inner world was clearer than ever.

An opportunity, the one he'd been talking about. So that's how it was.

He first gave her the opportunity to appear before Wu Jin, the head of the Beijing investment banking department, and compete with Xia Fengyong in a business match, allowing Wu Jin to see and recognize her abilities.

He secured for her the private placement project from Li Si, head of Project Department 2, allowing her to demonstrate her abilities before Li Si, earning his approval and praise.

He brought her into the core team and attended core meetings with them, allowing all core team members to see her abilities.

He assigned her to He Yihui, head of Project Department 4, to investigate a problem. He told her that even if she couldn't find a major problem, she must find some minor issues; she couldn't return empty-handed. She found the major one. He gave her the opportunity to demonstrate her abilities before He Yihui, earning his praise and recognition.

Later, even more so, he, who had always been indifferent to fame and fortune, suddenly became involved in the personnel changes at headquarters. How could she not have anticipated this? Given his personality, it was strange for him to suddenly do this. So, he was paving the way for her. He teamed up with General Manager Ning, the third-in-command at headquarters, to remove Ye Haorong, who could have stood in her way. Once General Manager Ning got promoted, he became her backer.

He silently cleared every obstacle for her, established every connection, and did everything for her to the best of her ability.

He did so much for her, silently, without a word.

He was damned silent, damned silent, saying nothing.

Through the thickening fog, she watched him, his shadowy figure.

He must have smiled again, a little regretful, a little hopeless.

She heard him say, "I wanted to help you get rid of Kan Qingzhou before I left, but it was too late." After a pause, he said, "But it doesn't matter. You can handle him."

She heard him say, "Don't cry, Qianmiao, don't cry. Things are pretty good now. Look, everyone who recommended you and supported you has recognized your abilities. Li Ya's crisis only happened after that. It's already good. Qianmiao, don't cry. If you cry, I won't be able to think. Listen to me," she thought to herself. She didn't cry. She heard his voice trail off and say, "After I leave, you will take my position and help me protect our department and the people outside."

He was completely blurred in her sight.

The fog grew so thick, so heavy, blocking her view, rolling and flowing.

She heard him say, "Qianmiao, don't cry."

She could hear her own nasal voice as she spoke. She heard herself asking him where he planned to go next and whether any other brokerage firm would be willing to take him on.

Through the thick mist, she couldn't see him clearly. But she heard his voice again, the same as when she'd met him again at Hanhai Home Textiles.

Selfless, self-sufficient. He'd returned to his old urban ascetic ways.

"Don't worry about me," he said faintly. "Remember what you told Du Xiaofeng? Tell him there's no obstacle in this world that can't be overcome. If there really isn't, just take a detour. Don't rush forward, and avoid getting stuck."

Through her blurred vision, she heard him say, "I'll take a detour. I won't get stuck."

She raised her hand to wipe her eyes. Her hands were wet.

She had really been crying.

She wondered why she was crying. She hadn't cried in front of him when she'd yelled at him to break up, but seeing him leaving like this, she couldn't bear it.

Perhaps deep down, she didn't want him to leave like this. Beyond the emotional aspect, in her work, he was her teacher, her protector, her guide.

She hoped he would always stand tall and proud in his career, never to be defeated by anyone.

Ren Yan was gone.

Without saying goodbye to the others in the department, he quietly packed up his things and left.

Everyone in the department was left with tears, unable to vent.

Upon the recommendation of Wu Jin, the head of the Beijing Investment Banking Department, and with the joint recommendation of the heads of Project Departments 2 and 4, as well as the support of all members of Project Department 1, Chu Qianmiao replaced Ren Yan and was promoted to head of Project Department 1.

The only person who objected was Kan Qingzhou from Project Department 2. He believed that Chu Qianmiao was young, inexperienced, and a woman, making her unsuitable for the role of department head. He also wanted to seize this opportunity to stir up internal strife within Project 1, specifically mentioning Qin Qianyu in front of Wu Jin. "Xiao Qin, Qin Qianyu, you became an insurance agent before Chu Qianmiao, you've been at Litong longer than Chu Qianmiao, and you're a man, so it's your turn to be the head of that department, right? Xiao Qin, you said you've been with your leader for so many years, and he made this decision before leaving, giving the lucrative position to a woman who's just prettier. How hurtful!"

Qin Qianyu immediately retorted to Kan Qingzhou, "Mr. Kan, there's no need to sow discord. Our Project 1 department will handle its own affairs."

At the same time, he righteously stated to Wu Jin, "Mr. Wu, Mr. Ren consulted me before leaving. It was I who suggested Chu Qianmiao take over his position. She's a better fit for the position than I am. Although she's young and a woman, she's smarter, more decisive, and more capable. Mr. Wu, what era is this? Can't young, beautiful women be promoted to leadership positions? As long as they're capable, anyone, male or female, can be a leader. We can't let inherent workplace gender discrimination mean Chu Qianmiao isn't suitable for the position. Everyone in our department agrees that she's the best fit."

Finally, the decision to promote Chu Qianmiao to Project 1 Head was jointly approved by the Chairman of Headquarters and Mr. Ning, the second-in-command.

Chu Qianmiao moved from her old office into the one Ren Yan had once occupied.

She sat in the leather chair that had once housed Ren Yan and surveyed the office. It was grand and dignified, familiar yet strange.

She became Managing Director, with her own office. At the age of twenty-eight, in her fifth year working with him, she assumed his position.

She rose from her leather chair, walked around her desk, and sat down in the chair across from her. She stared at the empty chair. She used to sit there, reporting to him across from her.

From now on, he would no longer be in this room.

She abruptly rose and walked to the window.

Outside the window was the Beijing sky of late spring and early summer, not particularly blue, but rather a murky, gloomy color.

Just like the color of her current mood.

She looked up at the sky. She thought to herself, she would protect this department well, she would.

Three days after Chu Qianmiao became department head, three pieces of news arrived in quick succession.

Qianmiao, Qin Qianyu came into her office, his expression grave and his voice filled with regret. He said, "Qianmiao, President Ren has revoked his insurance agent license."

Chu Qianmiao felt like a thunderclap in her ears.

Did he intend to leave investment banking completely and never work on these IPO, restructuring, merger, and share issuance projects again?

So, this was what he meant by taking a detour, avoiding getting stuck.

She asked Qin Qianyu, "Where is President Ren? Do you know?"

This time, it was Qin Qianyu's turn to look at her in surprise. "What happened between you and President Ren? Everyone knows it, and you don't even know?"

Chu Qianmiao was stunned again.

Her heart ached slightly.

She never imagined that one day, his news would become known to the entire world, and she would need to find out from everyone in the world.

Qin Qianyu then shared a second piece of news.

"President Ren has been hired by Zhou Hanhai at a high salary as Vice President of Hanhai Home Textiles, specifically to help Zhou Hanhai manage capital affairs."

Hearing this news, Chu Qianmiao felt somewhat relieved. This detour had its upsides.

Zhou Hanhai was a responsible, principled, and loyal man. Ren Yan would likely be treated with respect and courtesy. Perhaps a corporate career would be better for him than an investment bank. He'd shouldered the pressure and risk for so many years for projects and his departmental staff. It was time for him to unload the burden and find some relief in a different line of work.

"Third news," Qin Qianyu said, "Remember Cui Xijie? After leaving our department, he never managed to register as an insurance agent. He eventually quit investment banking and went into investment. At the end of last year, he joined Eagle Capital, and two days ago, he was fired. Do you know why?"

Chu Qianmiao already had a vague idea of ​​the answer to "why?"

"He found evidence from Eagle Capital internally that Liya still had proxy holdings and a VAM agreement in place after its IPO. He harbored a grudge against President Ren for forcing him to resign, and it was he who reported Ren. But this incident was a double-edged sword. After all, the VAM agreement was signed between Liya and Eagle Capital, implicated as well. The higher-ups were furious and fired him outright."

Chu Qianmiao clenched her fists on the desk.

Qin Qianyu told her, "Don't get excited. My friends and I have already avenged President Ren."

Chu Qianmiao raised an eyebrow.

Qin Qianyu: "We picked a convenient moment, out of the surveillance cameras' reach, and put a sack on him and gave him a good beating."

Chu Qianmiao wanted to applaud.

"Why didn't you ask me to join in?" Everyone is responsible for kicking and beating up the bitch.

"It's too bloody. You should just stay in charge," Qin Qianyu said.

"But there's something strange," Qin Qianyu frowned slightly. "When we were beating Cui Xijie up, he said he didn't regret reporting President Ren, even after being beaten. But this time, he was also being tricked by someone else. I wanted to ask him what he meant, but someone else showed up, so we withdrew. Later, I couldn't quite figure out what he meant. Qianmiao, you're smart. Can you figure out if someone else is trying to harm our President Ren?"

Chu Qianmiao told Qin Qianyu to go back while she thought about it.

By the time Qin Qianyu left, she had figured it out.

The person who had tricked Cui Xijie must have been Tan Shen.

He was the person directly responsible for resolving the VAM agreement. If another VAM agreement still existed, he must have been the most direct person handling it. He frequently dealt with Qian Siji, so it wouldn't be difficult to get him to reveal the existence of a private shareholding scheme. Perhaps Qian Siji had let slip, drunkenly, that Li Ya was well-connected in the local area, and we had government officials who had given us the green light. Do you know why he was so supportive of Li Ya? Because I promised him shares.

This gave Tan Shen evidence of two violations of Li Ya's law.

He and Ren Yan had an argument and a fight. He harbored a grudge against Ren Yan and was looking for an opportunity to retaliate. But he couldn't report the VAM agreement himself, as that would have meant he would be the one punished by Yingji Capital.

He happened to see Cui Xijie at the company; they had met before on the Liya project.

He knew Cui Xijie also hated Ren Yan to death. If it weren't for Ren Yan, Cui Xijie would have been a successful insurance agent by now.

So, he deliberately left clues for Cui Xijie to discover, revealing evidence of Liya's private holdings and the existence of a gambling agreement.

He then cleverly fueled Cui Xijie's hatred of Ren Yan, ultimately leading Cui Xijie to become a whistleblower.

Ren Yan left Litong in disgrace, and even left investment banking altogether. Cui Xijie was also fired by Yingji Capital.

Only Tan Shen escaped unscathed, avenging his grievances without a trace of tainted vengeance. It turned out he was truly cunning and ruthless.

Later, Chu Qianmiao's suspicions were confirmed.

After lunch, she received a call from her landline. It was Tan Shen. She remembered she had blocked him on her phone. So, he simply called the front desk and then transferred him to her office.

Tan Shen's voice on the phone was a little dark and cold. He called her and Ren Yan traitors. He also said, "You are the only one I have ever given up on revenge against Ren Yan."

We're living together, but you're still together behind my back. You've betrayed me. Betrayal must be punished.

Chu Qianmiao immediately hung up the phone. She then immediately instructed the front desk to not transfer the call to me again if this person tried to contact her, and to always say I was away.

After hanging up the phone, she thought, Ren Yan was right. The Tan Shen she knew wasn't the real Tan Shen.

The next day, Chu Qianmiao was about to lead the project team through a final review of the application documents when Qin Qianyu rushed in and flung open her office door.

"Qianmiao," Qin Qianyu's expression was a mixture of horror and surprise. "Kan Qingzhou has brought evidence to Mr. Wu, reporting you. He claims you were secretly in a relationship with Mr. Ren while he was there, and that he was providing you with official privileges. He wants Mr. Wu to go to headquarters and remove you from your position as department head."

After a pause, Qin Qianyu's face flushed with excitement. "So, you're really my sister-in-law?"