Climbing the Career Ladder

Chapter 49

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Song Wendi returned home and asked Lao Liu to drive Fang Zhicheng home. Lao Liu was not good at talking. Perhaps it should be said that 90% of the leaders' full-time drivers were very silent and rarely spoke. There were two main reasons: first, they were afraid of talking too much. Although they had a good relationship with the leader, they could not talk openly. Maybe if they said something unpleasant, they would be fired the next day; second, the driver and the leader were at different levels. The leader would not discuss some extremely private things with the driver because it would not achieve the results the leader wanted.

"Do you want to smoke?" Lao Liu asked suddenly. Drivers usually have a smoking addiction, because driving is an extremely energy-consuming activity, so Lao Liu has a strong smoking addiction. However, when Song Wendi is in the car, he will try his best to control the amount of smoking.

Fang Zhicheng took out a cigarette box from his bag, took out two cigarettes, put one in Lao Liu's mouth, took out a lighter and lit it for him, then took out one himself and asked with a smile: "Brother Liu, how long have you been with the boss?"

Old Liu blew out two puffs of cigarette, flicked the ash out of the window, squinted his eyes and said, "It's been about seven or eight years. I admire him very much."

"Oh?" Fang Zhicheng smiled, "Tell me some stories about the boss. I'm quite curious."

Old Liu nodded and smiled. "The boss looks very serious, but he is actually very nostalgic and sentimental, so you have to seize the opportunity. It's not easy to meet such a leader. Who isn't selfish these days? It's a blessing to have a leader who cares about the people around him."

Fang Zhicheng also agreed that Song Wendi was indeed a good leader and had helped him a lot. He asked softly, "So does the boss have any taboos?"

Old Liu smiled and said, "Of course, he values feelings very much, so he particularly hates those cold-blooded people. The reason why Liu Qiangdong was excluded by his boss is that some small things about Liu Qiangdong made his boss taboo. Liu Qiangdong has been married twice. After his ex-wife fell seriously ill, Liu Qiangdong decisively divorced her. Although this matter was kept secret, many people still knew about it. At that time, the boss said that he was a cold-blooded animal."

Fang Zhicheng suddenly understood. In fact, it was understandable if he thought about it. If a couple who had once slept in the same bed with him could be cold-bloodedly abandoned, what about the relationship between superiors and subordinates that was only maintained by interests

Song Wendi did not dare to use Liu Qiangdong lightly because this person posed a great risk, so he naturally had to do everything possible to transfer Liu Qiangdong away.

Fang Zhicheng nodded and sighed: "Liu Qiangdong is indeed a smiling tiger. It's a good thing that the boss transferred him away."

Old Liu nodded slightly and said softly, "Secretary Fang, although you have only been with the boss for a short time, the boss is very satisfied with you. You should work hard in the future. Although there are no obvious benefits to following the boss, you will benefit from it inexhaustibly in private."

"Oh? Please give me some advice, Brother Liu." Fang Zhicheng asked sincerely.

Old Liu was very satisfied with Fang Zhicheng's attitude. After all, he was a driver and Fang was a secretary. Generally, secretaries would be more arrogant than drivers, but Fang Zhicheng did not show such a feeling at all. He said vaguely, "Guess how much I am worth?"

Fang Zhicheng looked him up and down and said with a smile, "I can't guess. Brother Liu is always a true man who never reveals his true colors."

Old Liu smiled proudly and said, "I have three properties in Qiongjin. One of them is a villa. I estimate that it has appreciated to more than two million in the past two years. The other two are also worth hundreds of thousands. In addition to the properties, I also have a few shops. The monthly rent is about five or six thousand."

Fang Zhicheng knew a little about Old Liu. He was not a boastful person. He widened his eyes in disbelief and sighed, "I didn't expect Brother Liu to be so wealthy. It's really surprising."

Old Liu smiled calmly and said, "Many people are curious about why I still serve my boss so hard when I have so much income. There are two reasons. First, if I didn't have a boss, I wouldn't have accumulated so much wealth. This wealth is not from accepting bribes, but from paying attention to receiving some information. Sometimes the boss deliberately provides you with some policies, and if you take advantage of them a little, the income can increase exponentially after investing. Second, we are not the same kind of people, and we don't stick to the same family. After following the boss for so many years, I am used to following him and running around. I can't leave the boss just to make life more comfortable."

Fang Zhicheng sighed and said, "Brother Liu, you are also a man of integrity."

Old Liu put out his cigarette and smiled gently, "Loyalty also requires being kind to others. Although I haven't had much contact with you during this period, you give me a very good impression. From now on, we are all soldiers of the boss, and it is only natural to take care of each other."

Fang Zhicheng found that he had misunderstood Lao Liu. He originally thought that he was not good at speaking, but in fact he just didn't want to speak. He nodded and smiled, "Brother Liu's words are simple, but very warm."

Old Liu found that he and Fang Zhicheng got along very well, so he smiled and said, "By the way, do you have any jokes? I heard from the boss that you are very good at telling jokes. I have been driving all day, so tell me one to cheer me up."

“… So this is how my boss evaluates me.” Fang Zhicheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Old Liu laughed and said, "Telling jokes is a natural talent. Even the leaders in Zhongnanhai like to listen to them."

Fang Zhicheng said without hesitation, "When Director Wang Ke was young, he went to the countryside to educate the illiterate. In order to let the peasant woman know the word "quilt", he kept enlightening her. Director Wang thought about it and asked, "What do you wear when you sleep?" The peasant woman said it was her husband. Director Wang couldn't help but laugh and cry, "What about when your husband is not around?" The peasant woman thought for a long time and said, "It's the village chief!"

"Pfft..." Old Liu said happily, "Wang Ke is such a wonderful person. How come all these improper things happened to him?"

Fang Zhicheng secretly felt guilty and used "Wang Ke" again, explaining, "It has something to do with one's character."

They laughed and talked all the way, and became closer to Lao Liu. When they were about to get off the car, Lao Liu slapped his forehead and called Fang Zhicheng, saying, "I almost forgot. The boss left something for you in the back. Take it away quickly."

Fang Zhicheng opened the trunk and found two boxes of mangosteen inside. He picked up the one at hand, put it on his shoulder, and waved goodbye to Lao Liu with a smile.

While still on the stairs, he could smell the tempting aroma of food. The further he went up, he realized it was coming from next door. After Cheng Bin's parents moved in, the food next door had improved a lot. Fang Zhicheng put down the box, and Cheng Bin, who was wearing a white shirt and had a handsome face, ran up from downstairs, holding a plastic bag filled with sesame oil and MSG, as well as a bottle of white wine and red wine.

"Eh? Master Cheng, you're back?" Cheng Bin enthusiastically pulled Fang Zhicheng's arm, "Let's go to my house for dinner."

Fang Zhicheng quickly waved his hand and refused, "This is so bad. Wouldn't it be awkward for me to go over to your family dinner?"

Cheng Bin put his arm around Fang Zhicheng's shoulders and whispered, "It would be awkward without you. You don't know Yu Ming's temper. If there are outsiders, she will be willing to talk to me more, which can ease the relationship between us."

Fang Zhicheng asked in confusion, "You've come back to live here, so you haven't reconciled with your sister-in-law yet?"

Cheng Bin sighed, "It's my fault for going too far this time and hurting her feelings. She had the audacity to come to dinner today. If you weren't here, she would definitely be angry and wouldn't eat at the same table with me."

"Well..." Fang Zhicheng smiled bitterly. He was at a loss after being annoyed by Cheng Bin, so he just carried the box of fruits to the next room.

Qin Yuming happened to walk out of the bedroom. She was wearing a long floral dress with a white belt around her waist, which made her look several inches taller. She was indescribably elegant and beautiful, but her face looked bad and gloomy. The moment she saw Cheng Bin, she was filled with anger, but when Fang Zhicheng came in afterwards, she suppressed her anger.

"Sister-in-law, I just got home and met Brother Cheng. He insisted on asking me to stay for dinner. I happened to have a box of fruit, so I'll leave it for you to try." Fang Zhicheng put the box in the corner, wiped the sweat off his forehead, stared at Qin Yuming's eyes that were as bright as flowing water, and said softly.

Qin Yuming saw Cheng Bin's smirk and Fang Zhicheng's sincere face, and felt mixed emotions. After struggling for a while, she nodded and said, "Neighbors, it's okay to have a meal, but you don't need the fruit. You can take it back later."

At this time, Cheng's mother's voice came from the restaurant, saying, "Hey, Xiaofang is here. The meal is ready, come and eat together."

Fang Zhicheng was in a dilemma, so he shamelessly followed Cheng Bin to the table. Cheng Bin opened the white wine, poured a glass for Fang Zhicheng and Cheng's father, held up the glass, and sighed: "Today I came here specifically to apologize to Yu Ming."

After he finished speaking, he raised his neck and drank most of the glass of white wine.

Chapter 0037: Confession in a Storm

After Cheng Bin finished drinking the glass of wine, his pale face was tinged with red. Cheng's father and mother whispered to him, but Qin Yuming did not respond and just ate the food silently. Cheng Bin took the initiative to toast Fang Zhicheng with a few more glasses of wine, and his words were unclear. Cheng's mother persuaded him, "You've drunk too much and are already talking nonsense. Why don't you go to the bedroom and take a rest?"

Cheng Bin waved his hand, pointed at Qin Yuming and smiled, saying, "My wife is still angry, I am not qualified to sleep in this bedroom."