Chu Shichen had been expelled before, but Xiang Yue did not issue any relevant punishment announcement. This vague treatment calmed the discussion to a certain extent.
The news that he had returned to Xiang Yue spread again. Ten days later, he had become Xiang Mingzhang's secretary.
The "wrongful dismissal" seems unbelievable because this kind of "return" is unprecedented.
Soon, the Human Resources Department issued a formal announcement and the company's official website updated the employee information. All procedures were formal and complete, verifying the authenticity of the news.
After Chu Shichen finished the formalities, he returned to the sales department on the ninth floor. As soon as he appeared, the air was filled with silent awkwardness. His colleagues had isolated him before, and they didn't know what to do in the face of the current situation.
Only Ling Qi was an exception, he ran over with a happy look on his face: "Why are you back!"
Chu Shichen whispered, "I'll tell you when I have time."
The secretary's office is outside the president's office. It has the same decoration style and is not very large. It was basically locked for the past few months when it was vacant, but now it has been cleaned.
Chu Shichen placed a box of personal belongings on the table. He thought that since there was a secretary's office, Xiang Mingzhang should have a secretary, but he had never seen one in the company.
At the door, Xiang Mingzhang arrived and glanced as he passed by.
Chu Shichen chased after him and followed him into the president's office.
The room, which had been closed for the entire weekend, was a bit stuffy. Xiang Mingzhang pressed a few buttons on the electronic touch screen on the wall, which opened the blackout curtains and ventilation system at the same time, lowering the air conditioning by three degrees.
Chu Shichen remembered this little habit, and then took the initiative to say: "Everything related to joining the company has been completed."
Xiang Mingzhang was always cold and serious when he was in the company. He didn't intend to waste time on trivial matters and directly ordered: "Notify Project Team B to have a meeting in ten minutes."
"Okay." Chu Shichen did not need any additional communication. He instantly entered into work mode and was about to leave after answering.
Xiang Mingzhang coughed.
Chu Shichen stopped. Now that he was here, he had to do his job well. He asked in a secretary's manner, "Mr. Xiang, is there anything else?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Coffee."
Chu Shichen went to the tea room and made a cup of black coffee. According to his previous observation, Xiang Mingzhang didn't like adding milk or sugar, so when he sent it to the office, Xiang Mingzhang was not picky.
The office door was closed, Xiang Mingzhang picked up the coffee and took a sip. Half a month ago, he would never have thought that one day he would ask Chu Shichen to be his secretary.
Other positions require resume and experience and must comply with company regulations, but secretaries care more about their personal satisfaction and are not easily criticized.
The previous secretary disobeyed his orders and negotiated with the Chu family without authorization on the night of the yacht explosion, so he was fired. It was reasonable for Chu Shichen, the instigator of the accident, to take the blame.
The most important thing is to keep the person under your nose and let him obey your orders directly, which makes it easier to control him.
Xiang Mingzhang didn't plan too far ahead. The bank project needed Chu Shichen, and someone had to do the secretary job, so let's do it this way for now.
Chu Shichen finally got an employee account. Xiang Yue’s internal system was so powerful and complete that he immediately issued a meeting notice without having time to find out everything.
Ten minutes later, Project B team gathered in the multi-functional conference room. A supervisor and senior engineer from the R&D center came over. He was Xiang Ruxu, whom Xiang had met once at Xiang's house.
Chu Shichen took his seat with Xiang Mingzhang. The multi-functional conference room was mainly used for round-table discussions. It was decorated in bright colors and was not dull, so the meeting atmosphere was quite relaxed.
Peng Xin hit a snag with Team Leader Zhao, so he tried another approach by trying to approach a technical backbone of the selection group and made some progress.
Xiang Mingzhang nodded: "The selection group is not a one-man show. Each member has a certain say. The more people you grasp, the more favorable the conditions are. You should continue to contact them."
"Yes, I will." Peng Xin said, "Then what about Team Leader Zhao..."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I discussed the requirements with Team Leader Zhao that day."
Peng Xin was delighted: "Great!"
Xiang Mingzhang turned around and said to the person sitting next to him, "Secretary Chu, please tell me."
Everyone was happy at first, but then surprised. On the surface, Chu Shichen came to take notes of the meeting, but how did he suddenly get involved in the project, and was involved in the most important part.
Chu Shichen opened his notebook and went over the content of the communication several times. He made it clear and explained the bank's business needs in detail.
Peng Xin couldn't help but tug at his tie. In comparison, what he had didn't look that good.
Chu Shichen noticed from the corner of his eye that at the end of his speech, he added an extra sentence: "These are the contents discussed so far. I am just relaying them on behalf of Mr. Xiang."
Xiang Mingzhang admires Chu Shichen's delicacy and thoughtfulness, but he knows Peng Xin's character: he is competitive, but not jealous of others' talents, otherwise he would not have been promoted to sales director.
The important thing is that he doesn't want to steal the credit from others, so he announced: "It has nothing to do with me. Secretary Chu has put in a lot of effort and will work on this project together. If you have any questions, you can discuss it with him directly."
In any case, the project was progressing and everyone was full of fighting spirit. Chu Shichen was taking notes on the computer while writing down key points on paper, and he was a little overwhelmed.
Suddenly, Xiang Mingzhang approached him, like an invigilator watching people answering questions.
Chu Shichen didn't stop writing, and paid some attention to his boss: "Any questions?"
Xiang Mingzhang suggested: "Write in simplified Chinese, it will save trouble."
Chu Shichen was actually practicing: "...Oh."
Two days later, Xiang Mingzhang used the excuse that he was busy and asked Chu Shichen and Peng Xin to go meet Team Leader Zhao together.
This meeting was scheduled at a business club, which gave both parties ample time and allowed for more detailed communication.
Chu Shichen understood Xiang Mingzhang's intention. He sent Peng Xin not only to discuss the project, but also to further get to know him better.
As the head of the sales department, if Peng Xin can work with him, other people in the department can work with him. This time the goal is to break down barriers from top to bottom.
It was past dusk when they left the club. Chu Shichen learned his lesson and called Xiang Mingzhang on the street, only to get permission to go home after get off work.
The gate of the Chu family was not closed, and there was a large jeep parked in the corridor. It was Li Heng's car.
The person who came was Li Zangqiu. He stood under the parasol in the garden, and the driver was putting things into the trunk.
The Chu family had a farm in New Zealand, and they collected honey and fruit and airlifted some over for him.
For this kind of thing, the driver only needs to make one trip. Perhaps Li Zangqiu had something to say that was not convenient to say in the company. Chu Shichen did not have the word "avoid" in his instinct and walked towards him.
"Uncle, why don't you come in and have a cup of tea?"
"Shichen is back." Li Zangqiu smiled kindly, "Is it hard to go to work?"
Chu Shichen said: "I'm not tired, I can handle it."
Li Zangqiu seemed to be regretful: "I was upset about your expulsion and wanted to find a chance to let you go back, but you actually did it yourself. Alas, you were too impatient."
Chu Shichen asked: "Isn't this good?"
"The job of a secretary is troublesome. To put it bluntly, it means serving others." Li Zangqiu said, "The Chu family and the Xiang family are friends. You are the young master of the Chu family. You are a silly boy. You are going to be a secretary for Xiang Mingzhang. He is humiliating you."
Chu Shichen was not aroused by any emotion and said, "I rely on my own labor, how can I be humiliated?"
Li Zangqiu advised him: "It depends on who you are working for. The last project was not that simple. You should be careful not to be taken advantage of by Xiang Mingzhang."
“Will you?” Chu Shichen pretended to be stupid. Since he was not very good at pretending, he just happened to look a little unintelligent. “Thank you uncle for reminding me. I’ll remember it.”
Chu Shichen nodded in agreement, and sent Li Zangqiu into the car and left.
There were seven or eight wooden boxes piled up under the porch of the villa. Chu Shichen bent down and picked up a bottle of honey. It was bright yellow, with a sky blue lid and a circle of lace wrapped around the mouth of the bottle. It was obviously Mrs. Chu's ingenuity.
Aunt Tang came out to sort them out and said, "We collected a lot. You can take some and soak it in water at the office."
Chu Shichen asked: "Just soak it?"
Aunt Tang said: "Just add two spoonfuls of warm water, the sweet taste is good for the spleen and stomach."
The next day at work, Chu Shichen had a meeting with Project Team B and started writing a plan.
None of the major companies gained the upper hand in the last exchange, so they are holding back their efforts in the second exchange meeting. After all, the results will affect the final bid.
Chu Shichen was busy on both ends and felt very fulfilled. In the evening, when his colleagues were leaving get off work one after another, he was studying the PPT and prepared to stay a little longer.
In the president's office, Xiang Mingzhang bent over his desk and stretched his cervical spine. There was a transoceanic video conference in the evening, and both sides accommodated the time difference and set the meeting at eight o'clock.
There was only a mouthful of cold water left in the cup. Xiang Mingzhang dialed the secretarial office's internal line: "Have they left?"
Chu Shichen: "I'm here."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I'm thirsty."
Chu Shichen brought a cup of warm water and put it down behind the desk. Xiang Mingzhang opened the drawer, took out a bottle of pills, and swallowed two pills.
"Are you feeling unwell?" Chu Shichen asked.
"Gastric ulcer." Xiang Mingzhang said indifferently, "It's okay, go out."
The cross-ocean meeting lasted for an hour and a half. After it ended, Xiang Mingzhang came out of the office. The department was empty, the door of the secretary's office was slightly closed, and soft light was diffused.
He passed by the door and Chu Shichen called him from inside.
Xiang Mingzhang pushed the door open and went in. His previous secretary was also a man. He dressed himself up in designer clothes, but the secretary's office was not very elegant. Now that he was replaced by a new person, the office was clean and tidy, with a vase of orchids placed there in a very elegant way.
Chu Shichen took out a shopping bag and said, "I've sent your windbreaker to be dry-cleaned. I'm returning it to you."
Xiang Mingzhang forgot about the suit and walked over to pick it up. It was heavy, heavier than a suit. He looked down and accidentally caught a glimpse of the computer screen.
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "Are you working on a PPT?"
Chu Shichen admitted: "Yes, it is the plan for the second exchange."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "This is probably not your job."
"Of course." Chu Shichen confessed, "The project team has studied the content of the plan, and the director of the pre-sales consulting department is in charge. I have never been exposed to PPT, I just tried it for my own entertainment."
PPT is a presentation mode, and what is important is the content. Xiang Mingzhang turned the monitor to check the completed part. Chu Shichen had written down almost all the content he had mastered.
He leaned over and grabbed the mouse, first backing up the original, then drastically deleted more than one-third of it.
Chu Shichen tried to stop him: "These are the core contents of interpreting the demand points, which are very important."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "So I can't write."
Chu Shichen wanted to hear more details: "Why?"
Xiang Mingzhang leaned against the edge of the table and explained, "We finally managed to communicate with Team Leader Zhao. We know more than our competitors. It's not safe to reveal all our cards. If they are stolen, our competitiveness will be greatly reduced."
Chu Shichen asked: "Will omitting the core affect the communication effect?"
"So we have to prepare for both situations. We need to back up the complete version for communication, and the presentation must be detailed." Xiang Mingzhang said, "All reference documents transmitted to Party A must be deleted and revised. Every company will try every means to contact Party A, so we must be careful to prevent leaks."
Chu Shichen understood: "Thank you for your advice."
"Don't be so pretentious." Xiang Mingzhang looked at his watch. "Go home, or your mother will say I'm exploiting you."
Chu Shichen turned off the computer, packed up his things and left work with Xiang Mingzhang.
The elevator reached the first floor and Chu Shichen left first.
Xiang Mingzhang went to the underground garage alone, took out the car key and unlocked the door. He opened the door, sat in the driver's seat, and threw the shopping bag on the passenger seat.
Ding-ling-bang, there was a crisp sound of glass colliding.
Xiang Mingzhang felt strange, so he opened the shopping bag and took out the windbreaker. There were actually seven or eight bottles of honey hidden under the bag.
There was a note on the bottle lid. He picked it up and saw Chu Shichen wrote in simplified Chinese: Soak in warm water, two spoons are enough, drink a cup when you feel stomach discomfort.
Xiang Mingzhang was stunned for a few seconds, then raised his finger and flicked the decorative lace: "It's quite girly."
The Rolls-Royce drove out of the park gate. There were few people on the road. Xiang Mingzhang saw Chu Shichen standing on the street waiting for a taxi. The science and technology park was not as prosperous as the business district, and there were fewer taxis after ten o'clock.
Xiang Mingzhang took a look at the bag on the passenger side, carried it to the back, stopped the car, lowered the window, and said, "Get in."
There might be consequences for bothering his boss, so Chu Shichen said, "No need, I'll just take a taxi."
Xiang Mingzhang did not allow any arguments: "It's very late, don't waste time."
Chu Shichen had no choice but to get in the car, fasten his seat belt, start the engine and drive to the intersection. Suddenly, Xiang Mingzhang asked, "Did you put the honey there?"
Chu Shichen planned to keep the bottles in the company and drink them slowly. Seeing Xiang Mingzhang taking stomach medicine, he put a few bottles in the company by returning clothes. It was not a gift. After all, compared with the valuable pipa, it was a bit shabby.
He hummed, "I heard it's good for the spleen and stomach."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Thank you, but isn't that too much?"
Chu Shichen said: "It doesn't matter, there are some at home."
When Xiang Mingzhang heard the word "home", he had an idea. He clicked on the car screen to make a call, and the call display showed "Manzhuang".
After the call was connected, Xiang Mingzhang said, "Leave the door open. I'll be there in a minute."
The other party said, "Miss Bai is still awake, so prepare some midnight snacks and wait for you to come over and eat together."
"Okay." Xiang Mingzhang said again, "I'll stay overnight, please clean up the room."
Chu Shichen remained quiet and consciously turned to the car window. After the call ended, he said tactfully, "Please drop me off at the intersection. You don't have to send me off."
Xiang Mingzhang put his phone aside: "It's still in time."
Chu Shichen said, "It's okay, don't delay your trip." He hesitated for a moment, "Meet a friend."
Xiang Mingzhang turned the steering wheel with one hand, passed the intersection in an instant, and then said nonchalantly: "It's not a friend, it's my mother."
(End of this chapter)