The next day, there was a pot of blooming gladiolus in the secretary's office.
As soon as Chu Shichen opened the door, he smelled a light fragrance. Pure white flowers were blooming to their fullest along the upward green leaves. He thought Xiang Mingzhang was just talking, but he didn't expect that he really gave him a pot of gladiolus.
Chu Shichen carefully sprayed water on the petals. After the surprise, he recalled what Xiang Mingzhang said on the rooftop... You won't be a secretary forever.
Since joining the company, Chu Shichen has done a lot for Yisi. Compared to the "prodigal son" who only caused trouble, people have gradually changed their views on him and even believed in him.
Even if inviting Zhou Kesen back this time was unintentional, it would establish Chu Shichen's own prestige to a certain extent, and the forces within Yisi that supported Zhou Kesen would also move closer to him.
Zhou Kesen said in front of everyone yesterday that he had become a "veteran of two dynasties."
So who is in charge of this dynasty
Zhou Kesen seemed to be joking, but in fact he was supporting him.
But emotions are one thing and reality is another. "Chu Shichen" sold his shares, Yisi belonged to Xiang Yue, and the person at the helm should be Xiang Mingzhang.
Chu Shichen had to think more. With Xiang Mingzhang's mentality, he must understand Zhou Kesen's inclination. Would he mind
This pot of gladiolus symbolizes "progress step by step". Is it Xiang Mingzhang's simple approval or a subtle warning
Chu Shichen shook his head and denied the latter. He believed that Xiang Mingzhang would not be so narrow-minded.
Besides, Xiang Mingzhang’s ability and capital are strong enough, and his character is conceited enough that he simply doesn’t bother to be afraid of anyone.
Chu Shichen pondered for a while and turned back to himself. His purpose of joining the company had never changed. First, it was to help the Chu family. He proceeded step by step.
The second is to adapt to modern society. Although he became a secretary by accident, he was very satisfied. He could get in touch with various departments at work, which was convenient for him to learn and help Xiang Mingzhang take care of trivial matters, which gave him some basic skills.
Chu Shichen recalled that when he first arrived, he didn’t even know how to book a plane ticket and thought PPT was some newly made-up Arabian Nights fairy tale.
After watering the flowers, Chu Shichen went to the tea room to make coffee and saw Xiang Mingzhang standing in front of the coffee machine, holding his cell phone, motionless.
Chu Shichen found it quite strange. Xiang Mingzhang was a man of many thoughts and worked 24 hours a day without slacking off, yet he actually had moments of daze.
He coughed lightly, and Xiang Mingzhang came back to his senses. In the blink of an eye, he regained his composure and said, "Morning."
Chu Shichen walked aside: "What were you thinking about just now?"
"Nothing." Xiang Mingzhang put away his phone and changed the subject, "Did you see the flowers?"
Chu Shichen said: "Of course, it's beautiful."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I didn't write a card. It wasn't a romantic blessing anyway."
Chu Shichen was cautious and said, "Mr. Xiang, thank you for your appreciation, but I am very satisfied with the current situation."
Xiang Mingzhang picked up the coffee: "What?"
Chu Shichen said: "I have been your secretary for only half a year. I am very content and have never considered anything else."
Xiang Mingzhang understood what Chu Shichen meant and was willing to believe it, because Chu Shichen was too patient and steady. His ambition was wrapped in a dignified attitude and his fighting spirit was hidden under a gentle appearance.
Chu Shichen was never vicious or chaotic, but once he had decided on something, he would achieve his goal no matter how hard it took, or even at the cost of his life.
Xiang Mingzhang once thought that Chu Shichen was like a blue lake, clear as a mirror. In fact, Chu Shichen was a pine tree or a mountain on the shore. The wind and rain were nothing to him.
"I understand." Xiang Mingzhang said, "You took my appreciation as a warning?"
Chu Shichen denied: "No, I just don't want to have any misunderstandings with you."
Xiang Mingzhang said jokingly: "That's good. If I was misunderstood the first time I sent flowers, I would be devastated."
Chu Shichen asked: "Is this your first time sending flowers?"
"Yes." Xiang Mingzhang was really warning me this time, "If you kill it, I will punish you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Shihui came in from outside holding a cup. Others knew to wait when they saw the president in the tea room, but the temporary worker didn't realize it and came in quite cheerfully: "Mr. Xiang, brother, let's make coffee together."
Chu Shichen took a step away and said, "Don't call me brother in the company."
Xiang Mingzhang threatened to punish the brother, then turned around and acted like a gentleman to his sister: "Ms. Chu, how do you feel about your internship?"
Chu Shihui said: "It's a great achievement, but unfortunately the project is coming to an end and Director Qin is going back to the Chongqing branch."
"It's okay." Xiang Mingzhang said, "Mr. Zhou is back. You can go to Yisi's R&D department for a while. It's just right for your major."
Chu Shihui was very grateful, made tea and left.
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Sisters are easier to coax than brothers."
Chu Shichen said: "...meeting."
Yesterday, the R&D center held an exchange meeting on the technical support issues of cultural and tourism projects.
Zhou Kesen and Xiang Ruxu discussed a lot and formally decided to let Yisi participate as Xiang Yue's technical assistant.
At present, the project as a whole is still in the early stages, with the pre-sales consulting department mainly taking the lead.
In the conference room, the project team has arrived and the first round of promotional meetings is about to be held. This is the battlefield for pre-sales consultants. Director Meng Tao reported on the plans and progress.
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "How is the communication with the selection team going?"
Meng Tao said: "In addition to Director She in the city, several consultants were sent to contact the other three team members and have been building relationships."
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "Has the promotion meeting been scheduled?"
"Not yet," Meng Tao said. "All companies are waiting for news, but Director She revealed that the official coordination has not yet been completed."
Generally, there is only one Party A in a project and decision-making is straightforward. However, this project is an official tender involving multiple regions and departments, and each step has to go through the same procedures, which is inevitably cumbersome.
Meng Tao said: "Now the promotion meeting has been decided to be held in this city. There are many companies participating, and several departments in the city are coordinating who will host it. After all, it is quite troublesome to arrange it."
No matter how troublesome it is, it is Party A's business. Party B just needs to wait for the news. Xiang Mingzhang asked sharply: "Do you have any other opinions?"
Meng Tao took a deep breath and said, "Mr. Xiang, I have a bold idea. I'd like to let Xiang Yue take charge of the promotion meeting."
Everyone was surprised. Chu Shichen paused while typing and looked at Meng Tao.
Xiang Mingzhang pondered for a moment and nodded to continue. Meng Tao said, "The participants will come from all over the country. We have inquired and found out that it will not be as serious as the meeting in Beijing. The first round of exchanges will be in the form of a tea party. If Xiang Yue volunteers to host it and put the names of various units on it, it will save trouble for the other party and we can control the rhythm. It's the best of both worlds."
Peng Xin couldn't help but ask, "Will the authorities agree?"
Meng Tao said: "I mentioned it to Director She, and he didn't deny it, so I thought I could give it a try."
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "What do you think?"
Peng Xin said: "If it succeeds, the government will definitely give Xiang Yue credit for this."
The backbones of the business department are all proactive, and most of them are in favor. Chu Shichen clasped his fingers together and touched the ring on his hand. He agreed with the advantages of this move, but felt a little anxious.
After all, the benefits are proportional to the risks.
When the meeting ended, Xiang Mingzhang agreed to reply to Meng Tao before leaving get off work today.
A project has several nodes, such as promotion meeting, Party A inspection, bid opening... The eve of each node is the busiest. The office area is brightly lit at night, and the project team stays to work overtime until ten o'clock before finishing work one after another.
Xiang Mingzhang took the cup to make the third cup of coffee. The light in the secretary's office was on. He knocked on the door and Chu Shichen looked up from behind the computer screen.
"Why aren't you off work yet?"
Chu Shichen said: "I'm afraid you have plans."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I'll arrange for you to go home and rest."
Chu Shichen saved the file, unplugged the USB drive, and asked, "Have you replied to Director Meng?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "I agreed."
Chu Shichen packed up and walked to the door: "Director Meng's proposal is very bold, but the project is still in the early stages, will it be too much of a show?"
"Are you afraid that Xiang Yue will become the target of public criticism?" Xiang Mingzhang said, "I have also weighed the pros and cons, but as you saw today, the pre-sales department is full of fighting spirit, so it's better to let them have a try."
Chu Shichen said: "Apart from the official ones, the rest are all competing companies. There's no guarantee that someone will find fault with it. If it's not done well enough, won't it be worth it?"
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Xiang Yue was the first to do this. Whether it was perfect or with minor flaws, he was the first to do so. After a long time, people in the industry will only remember that Xiang Yue did it, and no one else did."
Chu Shichen agreed with this point. He handed over the USB drive and said, "If we want to do it, we need to worry about the venue, vehicles, and personnel arrangements. I have drawn up a schedule."
Xiang Mingzhang took it and said, "You're ready even though you're not sure if I agree?"
Chu Shichen said: "You can't just accept a flower for nothing and wait for instructions to do things. Even if you can't use it this time, it won't be a loss to keep it for the future."
Xiang Mingzhang nodded in admiration: "I'll give it to Meng Tao for reference, and let them study the details themselves."
Chu Shichen finally asked: "Aren't you leaving yet?"
Xiang Mingzhang paused for two seconds before saying, "Well, I have an overseas call to make."
Chu Shichen assumed it was official business and left work first.
Xiang Mingzhang made a cup of coffee and returned to the office, then sat down on the sofa.
A few days ago, he asked someone to find an expert to identify it. He received a reply in the tea room that morning, confirming that the pocket watch was an old item with a history of about seventy to one hundred years.
Based on the production process, it is inferred that it is made in Switzerland. The pattern is very rare, and it is possible that it is a one-off custom-made one. The silver color is plain and the pattern is Buddha-like, which shows that the owner of the pocket watch is not only wealthy, but also has good taste.
Xiang Mingzhang dialed the number. It was indeed a long journey across the ocean, but it was not for work. He contacted the owner of a Swiss antique watch shop to check if there were any similar styles in the antique watch collection circle.
Xiang Mingzhang remembered the information he got from Chu Shichen. The lady's necklace was made using Chinese twisted wire craftsmanship. Could it be confirmed that the owner of the pocket watch was Chinese
Twisted wire jewelry was very popular during the Republic of China period, so the timing also makes sense.
A silver swastika-patterned pocket watch without a custom-made bracelet is so special that if the century-old Swiss shop had records, perhaps the production information of that year could be found.
The call ended and it was late at night. Xiang Mingzhang's heart calmed down. The doubts raised by a CT image seemed hasty, but they also had the weight of modern science.
Xiang Mingzhang realized belatedly that he had not thought of asking Chu Shichen directly or taking Chu Shichen for another check-up.
Could it be that subconsciously, he thought that there was something wrong with "Chu Shichen"
Xiang Mingzhang was really puzzled. After swallowing the slightly bitter American coffee, he just thought he had consumed too much caffeine and felt dizzy.
The date of the promotion meeting is set for November 28th, in the meeting hall of No. 1 Hall, and hosted by Xiang Yue Communications.
As soon as the news came out, there was a silent uproar in the industry. Xiang Yue's move could be called "striving to be the first" or "against the rules." In short, while his talents are revealed, he will also be subject to speculation and discussion.
On the day of the promotion meeting, many parties arrived in an orderly manner. In addition to official personnel and companies, there were also some independent manufacturers participating.
Three people came from Zhitian Chuangxiang. Shang Fusheng was much more low-key this time, unlike the last time in Beijing when he was full of confidence.
Chu Shichen was wearing a dark double-breasted suit which was tightly fitted and outlined his thin but not weak waist. He always liked white shirts. The crystal lights in the room shone down, making him look clean and bright, and he looked energetic while talking and laughing.
Irving, the president of UT China, who I met during my business trip to Nanjing, also came.
UT specializes in hardware and has long been interested in cooperating with Xiang Yue. Owen took the initiative to come over and shake hands with Xiang Mingzhang, then said, "Secretary Chu, you've lost weight."
Chu Shichen said generously: "I should strengthen my exercise."
Owen said, "You should eat more. I think today's meal is very good."
Because it was a promotion meeting and tea party, exquisite tea snacks and desserts were prepared in the venue. When the time was almost up, the waiters served tea to each table.
Chu Shichen looked around. The venue was grand and luxurious, with complete hardware facilities. Xiang Yue had invested a lot of money and effort in it.
The emcee waited on the stage for instructions, and everyone took their seats. When the time came, the first round of the promotion meeting officially began.
Chu Shichen sat next to Xiang Mingzhang, with a gorgeous carpet under his feet and a broad dome above his head. Everything was ready wherever he looked.
He hoped everything would go well, picked up the cup and took a sip of hot tea, which was slightly sweet and moist, as if honey was added.
The selection group discussed the requirements. Director She, as the technical team leader, spoke first. Everyone was attentive and representatives from each company were taking careful notes.
He spoke for nearly forty minutes in one breath, with the right amount of detail and straight to the point. Director She's voice became hoarse, and he drank up the tea in front of him after he finished his speech.
In the next stage, each company will describe the initial configuration of its solution.
In everything, it is important to know both yourself and your enemy. Being the first one will inevitably lead to disadvantages. As the organizer, Xiang Yue is willing to throw out some ideas.
Meng Tao took the stage and opened the show skillfully and confidently.
Suddenly, a cough spread from the microphone to the entire conference room, and everyone looked at Director She who made the sound.
"Ahem..."
Director She pushed away the microphone in front of him, covered his mouth and coughed violently. The people next to him panicked and waved to the waiter to bring another cup of tea.
However, before the waiter could take any action, Director She's coughing stopped abruptly.
He opened his mouth, as if he couldn't breathe, and the next moment he fell off his chair with a bang.
Meng Tao was shocked and rushed over quickly. The people on the stage surrounded Director She.
There was an uproar among the people seated, and someone shouted, "Is there something wrong with the tea?"
The briefing was interrupted and the meeting room suddenly became chaotic.
Xiang Mingzhang stood up. He was Xiang Yue's boss and he must not panic at any time no matter what happened.
Beside him, Chu Shichen also had a calm expression and immediately made arrangements: "I'll go get the driver to take Director She to the hospital first."
(End of this chapter)