Xiang Mingzhang's estimation was wrong, Chu Shichen really came to him.
How could Chu Shichen, who was sensible and polite after losing his memory, be so reckless? Even if he didn't remember the Xiang family mansion, Mrs. Chu knew it, and so did the Chu family's driver.
Unfortunately, the driver took Mrs. Chu shopping and was not at home.
Chu Shichen came by taxi and waited for three days, his mind preoccupied with work. His patience was almost gone, so he wrote down the address, thinking it was just another property of Xiang Mingzhang.
It was not until he was led into the villa by Aunt Qian that Chu Shichen vaguely heard voices talking, and it seemed that there were more than one person. He realized it later, but it was too late, and he was stunned for a moment when he arrived at the restaurant.
There were a total of ten members of the Xiang family present, including men, women, young and old, with three generations living together, as if they were having a family gathering.
After Chu Zhe's death, the two families' contacts gradually became distant. Chu Shichen stayed abroad in the past few years and rarely appeared in public. The Xiang family's impression of him remained at the stage of "a flashy prodigal son". Whenever he came, everyone couldn't help but look at him.
Chu Shichen was not afraid of being seen. He stood straight and calm. However, since he came to seek an explanation, he naturally had no gifts. He didn't know where to put his empty hands.
Sitting there, Xiang Mingzhang had a calm expression and took a sip of red wine very calmly.
Since the timing was not right, Chu Shichen said politely, "Mr. Xiang is hard to get an appointment with. I was in a hurry so I came uninvited. I am sorry for disturbing you all."
Xiang Kun waved his hand: "No, you've come just in time. Bring us a set of bowls and chopsticks and sit together."
Chu Shichen said: "No need, I will make an appointment with Mr. Xiang another day."
"You're leaving right after you've arrived. This is not how our Xiang family treats guests." Xiang Huan stood up to stop him. "Don't call me Mr. Xiang. There are several Mr. Xiangs in this room, young, middle-aged and old. Just call Mingzhang 'brother'."
Xiang Kun said: "Mingzhang, if someone comes to see you, you should greet them."
Xiang Mingzhang put down his wine glass and beckoned for someone to bring in a chair. The velvet seat was soft and smooth. He patted it and said, "Shichen, come sit next to me."
The tone is intimate and the movements are gentle.
It's especially like luring prey.
Chu Shichen recited Buddhist scriptures in his heart to hold back his sullen expression, and just thought of himself as coming to the 21st century to survive the calamity.
He sat down gracefully, Xiang Mingzhang poured him half a glass of red wine, and asked him if he had any food aversions. He was very elegant, as if nothing had happened.
Chu Shichen silently chanted "Amitabha", kicked Xiang Mingzhang's calf with his toes under the table, and whispered, "Enough."
Xiang Mingzhang asked without any hesitation: "How is Auntie doing recently?"
Chu Shichen had no choice but to answer: "Everything is fine."
"What about your sister? She's a grown-up now, right?" Xiang Huan replied, "Has she graduated from college?"
Chu Shichen smiled and said, "Shihui will graduate next year."
Xiang Kun said: "The last time I saw the little girl, she had just started middle school. She was very smart. Is she going to continue her studies or work?"
Chu Shichen said: "It depends on her wishes. Her family will support her."
The eldest aunt asked again: "Is your mother still playing in the original club? I haven't seen her for a long time."
Chu Shichen didn't understand and said apologetically, "She should be there. I didn't care about her enough and I don't know clearly."
There was constant chatting at the table. The Xiang family followed the etiquette of hospitality and each person spoke a few words to avoid awkward silence. Chu Shichen responded humbly and naturally, and not a word he said was inappropriate.
Xiang Mingzhang glanced over and saw that Chu Shichen's chin had become pointed and he had lost weight. The crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling cast a warm light on his face. The shadows were scattered and the bones were clearly visible, making his facial features look even more delicate.
Chu Shichen had a poor appetite as he hadn't eaten properly for three days. The porcelain plate in front of him was clean, but he had no desire to pick up his chopsticks. He endured the sour taste on his tongue and sipped half a glass of wine.
Occasionally raising his head, Chu Shichen met Xiang Xingzhao's cloudy eyes. The old man looked at him and probably felt that he looked familiar.
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Grandpa, eat a little more."
Xiang Xingzhao's meals were prepared individually. His hands were shaking and some soup spilled. Xiang Mingzhang wiped it clean and grabbed the spoon to feed Xiang Xingzhao.
Someone from the kitchen came to ask if there was anything else to add, and Xiang Mingzhang said, "It's hot, and people get tired of it easily. The old man's menu changes every three days."
Xiang Kun said to Xiang Xingzhao, "Dad, look how considerate Mingzhang is."
Xiang Mingzhang smiled, very lightly, wiped Xiang Xingzhao's mouth, and said, "Uncle Qi, push grandpa out to bask in the sun."
Xiang Xingzhao pulled his hand like a child: "No, no."
"Grandpa, I won't leave." Xiang Mingzhang agreed gently, "After you bask in the sun, take a nap. I'll take a walk with you in the afternoon, and then play a game of chess."
At this moment, Chu Shichen took in everyone's expressions. Everyone was smiling slightly, but their smiles were half-true and half-false, revealing a hint of embarrassment.
In such a big family, it is not difficult to see that Xiang Mingzhang is the one who really calls the shots.
In such a family, it is far from enough to rely solely on the favor of the elders; only by mastering real power can one have the capital to make decisions.
Chu Shichen had heard a little that Xiang Xingzhao had always been extremely partial to Xiang Mingzhang, which could be seen from his name. All of his brothers were named with the characters "Ru" and "Si", but only Xiang Mingzhang was named by Xiang Xingzhao specifically.
The Xiang family's reunion seemed happy, but Chu Shichen felt that something was missing.
Suddenly, everyone started to urge Miss Qin to call them "Mom and Dad".
Chu Shichen suddenly realized that Xiang Mingzhang's parents were not at the table and no one mentioned them.
After dinner, everyone entertained themselves. Xiang Mingzhang called Aunt Qian aside, gave her a few words of advice, and then took Chu Shichen out of the villa through the side hall.
The garden is dark green, more like a sycamore forest. Under the dense trees is a blue glass greenhouse, which houses a dozen hibiscus birds that come and go freely.
Xiang Mingzhang took a bag of corn and scattered a handful on the lawn, attracting several birds to come and peck at the food. He thought Chu Shichen's patience had run out, so he turned around and asked, "What do you want to ask first?"
Chu Shichen said: "Zhai Feng."
"It must be unpleasant to be deceived." Xiang Mingzhang said, "Do you have your cell phone with you? Check your email."
Chu Shichen took out his cell phone and opened it. There was an unread email in his mailbox, including two documents, which Xiang Mingzhang sent to him on the way after he got off the plane.
The first one was Zhai Feng’s resume. Chu Shichen had checked it before, but the content he obtained was not so detailed—Zhai Feng had worked for Yisi for thirteen years, starting out in a technical position and working his way up to R&D manager.
Four years ago, after Chu Zhe passed away, he was suddenly transferred to the sales department.
Zhai Feng started as an ordinary employee in the sales department, which was equivalent to starting from scratch. He participated in many projects in the past four years, without any work mistakes, disciplinary records, or praise, and was only promoted from an employee to a team leader in four years.
Talents from the R&D department were thrown into the business department and suppressed for many years. Behind their beautiful resumes, there is a lot of frustration.
Even if it is possible, why
Chu Shichen felt chilled after reading it. In the four years since Chu Zhe's death, how many Zhai Fengs did Yisi have? How many Zhai Fengs had left
Xiang Mingzhang said: "If the project had not failed, what would Yisi have given him?"
Chu Shichen originally thought that he could let Zhai Feng take a step forward, but now he couldn't answer. He asked: "Such a useful person can't be bought with a little favor, so what did you give him?"
Xiang Mingzhang told him: "In addition to the admission recommendation letter, he will serve as the head of Xiang Yue's Southeast Region R&D Center six months after arriving in Shenzhen."
Chu Shichen said: "This is the real purpose of digging up Zhai Feng."
"Yes, I admit it." Xiang Mingzhang said calmly, "He happened to be in the project team, so he did one more thing before he left. He was reluctant at first."
Chu Shichen suddenly felt angry: "Because he is not as despicable as you."
Xiang Mingzhang repeated: "Despicable?"
Chu Shichen questioned: "Xiang Yue acquired Yisi, and his position can be transferred. If you want him openly, no one can stop you. Why do you have to destroy this project?"
Xiang Mingzhang sneered: "Hasn't Yisi lost enough orders in these years? This one is not a big deal."
"You don't care about Yisi's interests, but you shouldn't joke about Yisi's reputation. Even if you lose, it's better to be inferior to others than to make such a low-level mistake!"
"Lose? Lost to Du Heng?" Xiang Mingzhang was full of sarcasm, "You Chu family and Li Zangqiu are indistinguishable from each other. I, Xiang Mingzhang, am not that stupid."
Chu Shichen had a hint of anger on his face: "Be more respectful."
"Then I might as well tell you." Xiang Mingzhang stepped in front of Chu Shichen, with a fierce light in his eyes, "From now on, if Yisi can't get the order, Du Heng will never be able to take it. How capable is Li Heng? How big a project can he take on? It's all thanks to Li Cangqiu cutting Yisi's meat and feeding it to him over the years. You Chu family members are not stupid, you are kind-hearted, okay? I, Xiang Mingzhang, am narrow-minded and will never support the father and son of the Li family."
Chu Shichen secretly weighed the information in this sentence and quickly understood what was going on: "Are you targeting Li Zangqiu? What about the other people in the project team?"
Xiang Mingzhang's eyes relaxed. He was immediately pleased by Chu Shichen's intelligence after scolding him for being stupid. He said, "The second document."
Chu Shichen opened it and found an announcement drafted by the Human Resources Department. It would be officially issued in the company on the first of next month, which is tomorrow.
The sales director and two managers were not only demoted but also transferred to branch companies or other departments. This heavy punishment served as a warning to others and directly kicked them out of Yisi's management circle.
The head of the business department and his right-hand men are closely related. If Li Zangqiu loses these trusted and beloved generals, the core team will definitely be affected.
If Xiang Mingzhang wants to attack Li Cangqiu, he must find out where he made a mistake, and it must be a solid and irreversible mistake.
"This time we opened a loophole, so Li Zangqiu couldn't hold it back and had to bear it." Xiang Mingzhang said, "So it's not a loss to delay a project."
Chu Shichen came to his senses after hearing the word "delay". He raised his head and said, "Yisi has been disqualified, so there are less than three companies bidding, resulting in a failed bid. The pharmaceutical company will re-bid. If I'm not mistaken, Xiang Yue will participate, right?"
Xiang Mingzhang did not deny it: "After all, your plan is perfect. I will give the project to Yisi to do it, so that your efforts will not be in vain."
Chu Shichen said coldly: "I'll give you a slap and a sweet treat. Do you need to thank you for your thoughtfulness?"
Xiang Mingzhang retorted: "I acquired Yisi to make it profitable, not to bankrupt it. I don't need to prove to anyone whether I am worthy of delivery, especially to you, who has sold all the shares."
"So you chose me." Chu Shichen said.
On the surface, he lacks experience, so it is reasonable for a newcomer to make mistakes. A playboy without any equity can be thrown away after use.
Xiang Mingzhang did think so at the beginning. The Chu family and Li Zangqiu had a close relationship and they might become a family in the future. He didn't believe that Chu Shichen would become estranged from Li Zangqiu.
He also knew that Chu Shichen didn't trust him either, and that what he said was just a delaying tactic to get into the company.
Since they are using each other, there is no question of right or wrong, only the quality of the strategy.
But now everything went according to plan, except Chu Shichen, who did not meet his expectations.
Zhai Feng sent a very long message to plead for Chu Shichen, detailing his abilities, character, and sincerity, which Xiang Mingzhang could easily see.
There was a moment of silence, and Chu Shichen took it as Xiang Mingzhang's consent.
This time, Li Zangqiu injured his humerus, poached Zhai Feng, and then took over the project to preserve his interests.
Killing three birds with one stone was Xiang Mingzhang's plan from beginning to end.
Chu Shichen acted as a chess piece for once, and he admitted that winning a game requires early planning. He finally asked, "When did you decide to use me?"
Xiang Mingzhang replied: "When I agreed to let you join the company."
Chu Shichen squinted his eyes in the spring breeze, his eyes were as cold and sharp as flying flowers, he no longer had such strong feelings, they were originally using each other, this time he was not as skilled as the other.
He actually admired Xiang Mingzhang a little.
After talking for a long time, it was time to end. He slowly said, "Congratulations on your success."
Xiang Mingzhang said: “There is no punishment for you in the notice.
Chu Shichen: "So?"
Xiang Mingzhang said arrogantly: "If you ask me to stay, I can consider it."
Chu Shichen grabbed Xiang Mingzhang's hand, snatched the bag of corn from his palm, and poured it onto the grass. A dozen birds that had lost their wildness instantly swooped over.
He said, "Only canaries beg for food, but I can't."
Xiang Mingzhang's fingers curled slightly, unable to catch the remaining warmth from the touch of skin. Since he was given the opportunity but refused to take it, there was no reason for him to waste his energy, so he said, "Okay, then I wish you find another job soon."
Chu Shichen left.
It was indeed boring to see a group of canaries return to their cages after eating. Xiang Mingzhang returned to the villa. As he entered the side hall, Aunt Qian came over with two porcelain cups on a tray, with a wafting aroma.
An appetizing dish of lychee and plum, and a nutritious dish of grouper and egg stew.
Aunt Qian asked, "It's done as you ordered. Where do we eat?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "No need, everyone has left."
The author has something to say:
This photo was maliciously reported. Additional explanation: 1. The bid is from our own company and does not infringe on the interests of our competitors. 2. The protagonist concealed part of the truth, which involves the subsequent plot and related characters. It is not illegal and will be revealed and explained later.
(End of this chapter)