News of a bidding meeting always spreads quickly. When the team returned home, the long corridor in the office area was filled with people. Colleagues from the sales department and pre-sales consulting department, all from four floors up and down, came to greet them.
Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen were walking side by side in front. Seeing this scene, Xiang Mingzhang paused for a moment and said in a low voice, "Even Xiang Rugang's wedding on the red carpet wasn't this grand."
Chu Shichen said: "What nonsense are you talking about."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "It's just a matter of scattering some flowers."
Chu Shichen raised his hand to push Xiang Mingzhang's back, forgetting that Xiang Ruxu was following behind him, and quickly put his hand down. Going on the stage to present the proposal was not a big deal, but the triumph made him feel overwhelmed.
Xiang Mingzhang is worthy of being the president. He never shows his emotions and pretends to be very careful: "The bidding went smoothly today, but we still have to wait for the evaluation results. Please be patient."
Peng Xin waved his hand and agreed: "It's the end of the year, and there are still many things to do in other projects. Let's keep going!"
Chu Shichen didn't say a word as someone stuffed a box of yogurt into his hand. He took a few steps and received a bag of cookies. When he returned to the secretary's office, he had enough for an afternoon tea in his arms.
It just so happened that there was no time for lunch, so Chu Shichen pulled out a chair and just sat down when Peng Xin knocked on the door and came in, saying, "Secretary Chu, stop eating snacks. Are you going to have a big dinner tonight?"
Chu Shichen said happily: "Director Peng, you didn't have this attitude outside just now."
"I'm using both kindness and force." Peng Xin said with a smile, "Are you going or not? Please ask Mr. Xiang if he wants to attend."
Chu Shichen's throat hurt from training these days, so he said, "I won't go. I want to go home and rest early."
Peng Xin knew Chu Shichen's character, so she didn't force him. She had originally planned to ask Xiang Mingzhang, but she gave up the idea. Although she didn't understand why, she had a hunch that if Chu Shichen didn't participate, Xiang Mingzhang would not participate either.
"Okay then." Peng Xin said before leaving, "By the way, let me congratulate you first."
Chu Shichen was a little puzzled. After the bidding was over, Peng Xin had congratulated him on the spot. If he meant that the project was successfully completed, he should not just congratulate him, but share the joy.
Peng Xin went out in a hurry. Chu Shichen just smiled to himself. He was too lazy to think about it further. He peeled off the straw and inserted it into the yogurt bottle.
I didn't feel anything in the conference hall. Each company presented its bid in turn, with breaks in between. The long day passed quickly.
The bidding will be held for three days, with four companies participating each day. After all the bidding is completed, the official review and approval of the bids will take at least one week, and then the results will be announced.
No matter what, the matter was over and he could finally take a break. Chu Shichen took a sip of yogurt, frowned, and looked down to see the words "sugar-free".
He really couldn't understand it. It was bad enough that supplies were scarce during the war, but now that resources were abundant, they were reluctant to add sugar and instead made something so sour.
In the president's office, Xiang Mingzhang always has work to do. He opened his mailbox to deal with today's unread emails. Someone knocked on the door, but he didn't look up: "Come in."
Chu Shichen pushed open the door, holding a cup of yogurt, and said, "Are you busy? It's almost time to get off work."
After working in the company for nearly a year, Chu Shichen rarely expected to leave work early. Xiang Mingzhang hooked his finger and said, "Come here, are you tired?"
"No, I'm not used to being idle all of a sudden." Chu Shichen walked around the desk and asked, "Do you drink yogurt?"
Xiang Mingzhang looked at the mark on the end of the straw and said, "You left it."
Chu Shichen said: "I drank all the ginseng tea you left."
Xiang Mingzhang took it and took a sip. He couldn't taste the sweetness or sourness. He pulled Chu Shichen to sit on the armrest of the chair and ordered, "Help me reply to the email."
Chu Shichen moved the mouse. At the end of the year, branches across the country submitted a pile of reports. The sender of the latest one was the general manager of the Shenzhen branch. In addition to reporting on official business, he also asked Xiang Mingzhang when he would go for inspection.
Chu Shichen said: "Are you going to the Shenzhen branch?"
The Southeast Region was built relatively late, and its hardware, manpower, technology, and business are still in the development stage. The results in the past two years have been very good. Xiang Mingzhang said, "Let's go there before the New Year holiday."
Chu Shichen asked: "Who will you bring with you?"
Xiang Mingzhang sipped on the yogurt and described: "Bring someone who is capable, thoughtful, can handle things on his own, and is also good-looking and pleasing to the eye."
Chu Shichen couldn't listen any longer, so he typed a line of words randomly on the keyboard and deliberately said, "You want to bring four people?"
Xiang Mingzhang laughed and decided, "Take two people, you and Vice President Zhou."
The cultural and tourism project has basically been settled. The highest director of the business part is Chu Shichen, the technical support is provided by Xiang Yue and Yisi United, and Zhou Kesen has contributed a lot to the Yisi R&D department.
Xiang Mingzhang arranged: "It would be a pity if this project is not made into a classic case. You and Vice President Zhou will give everyone training at the branch office when the time comes."
Chu Shichen turned back in surprise: "I don't know how to train people, I only know how to lecture them."
Xiang Mingzhang finally couldn't help it, and pulled Chu Shichen from the armrest of the chair to his lap, hugged him, and asked in an intimate posture: "President Shen, don't be so pretentious, have you really been here for four or five years? What else don't you know?"
Chu Shichen struggled to get down. He was a tall and strong man, and it was ok for him to sit on someone's thighs during sex late at night, but to do so in the office in broad daylight was totally shameless.
As luck would have it, the cell phone rang. Chu Shichen took it out and saw that it was Mrs. Chu calling.
Xiang Mingzhang held him tightly with both arms and said, "Auntie is looking for you, answer it."
Chu Shichen dropped his legs and stepped on the ground, struggling even harder: "Let me go."
Xiang Mingzhang hugged her tighter and said, "Just take it like this."
The phone kept ringing, probably something was going on, Chu Shichen had no choice but to slide the answer button.
Mrs. Chu's voice was clearly heard: "Xiaochen, we have guests coming to our house tonight, try not to work overtime and come back early."
Chu Shichen had the illusion that he was having an affair with her through a thin layer of window paper, and said, "I know, Mom."
Mrs. Chu said happily, "I went shopping this morning and bought some spring clothes for you and Xiao Hui. Come back and try them on to see if you like them."
Chu Shichen half-closed his eyes, and rubbed his cheek against Xiang Mingzhang's thin lips. He said patiently: "Why buy spring clothes in winter..."
"We release new models for next spring in winter." Mrs. Chu said, "What's the matter? Your breathing sounds strange?"
Mrs. Chu said, "Did you catch a cold? I'll ask Sister Xiu to make you some porridge. Have a bowl when you come back."
After the call ended, Xiang Mingzhang reached out and covered Chu Shichen's lower abdomen. Through his white shirt, his fingertips were restless at the edge of his pants waist. He asked, "Where does it hurt? Let me rub it for you."
Chu Shichen called him by his name: "Xiang Mingzhang, don't go too far."
Xiang Mingzhang thought he was giving in: "Kiss me and I'll let you go."
The bidding went smoothly, and Chu Shichen knew that Xiang Mingzhang was in a good mood. He remembered how he looked when he was standing on the stage and presenting the bid, handsome and outstanding.
"You didn't say kiss, so I'll make the decision myself."
Chu Shichen grabbed the hand that was caressing his lower abdomen, raised it to his lips, and kissed the back of Xiang Mingzhang's hand.
While Xiang Mingzhang was in a daze, Chu Shichen stood up and said casually before leaving: "Mr. Xiang, remember to throw away the yogurt box."
A quarter of an hour after get off work, Chu Shichen packed up and left. Fortunately, he was wearing a black suit, so the wrinkles on Xiang Mingzhang's thighs were not too obvious.
When he got home, he saw a familiar off-road vehicle parked in the garden. Chu Shichen recognized the license plate; it was Zhou Kesen's car.
There were four or five people in the living room of the villa. Chu Shichen walked in and shouted, "Uncle Sen, you're here."
Zhou Kesen has been busy since he returned to Yisi. Now that the project has come to a temporary end and he has settled down, he brought his parents over from Harbin.
In the past, during the Chinese New Year, the old couple would send various Northeastern specialties to the Chu family, and they had a very close relationship. When Mrs. Chu learned that the old man had moved in, she decided to have a small gathering at home to welcome him.
Although the two old people were old, they were in good spirits and liked to chat. Chu Shihui was very close to Zhou Kesen, and they talked and laughed throughout the meal. The house had not been so lively for a long time.
After a good meal and a good drink, Chu Shichen accompanied Zhou Kesen to smoke under the porch and asked, "Uncle Sen, did you know about the business trip to Shenzhen?"
Zhou Kesen said: "I know. Mr. Xiang contacted me on the way here."
Chu Shichen was not used to smoking ordinary cigarettes, so he stopped after taking a light puff. Zhou Kesen smoked heavily, more like he was excited, and exhaled the smoke, praising him for his ability and enterprising spirit, his words full of satisfaction.
Rather than showing respect and closeness to his elders, Chu Shichen tended to appreciate Zhou Kesen's feelings and said, "Uncle Sen, I'm going to blush if you keep praising me."
Zhou Kesen laughed: "Okay, then congratulations in advance."
Chu Shichen asked: "Congratulations to me for what?"
After years of working in the workplace, Zhou Kesen knows what's going on: "This cultural tourism project is so well done. After this, you will not just be a secretary."
Chu Shichen recalled that in the secretary's office that afternoon, Peng Xin congratulated him in advance. Could this be what he meant
Xiangyue's human resources system is very mature, especially focusing on the targeted training and promotion of talents, so any project must involve grassroots sales. If a cultural tourism project is successfully won, more than one colleague in the project team will be promoted and get a salary increase.
Zhou Kesen said: "In terms of merit, you are definitely at the top."
What Chu Shichen has been involved in and undertaken has long exceeded the scope of a secretary's duties. He had no title before, and this time he entered the business work, which was indeed a reasonable time to change positions.
Chu Shichen had never thought about it, and he didn't know what Xiang Mingzhang was thinking. He had a special identity and their relationship was even more special, so it was estimated that it would not change according to the usual practice.
The ash of the cigarette was a little burned, and he flicked it off with a flick of his finger, not wasting time guessing: "It's all right, let's talk about it after the New Year."
A few days after the bidding, the project team went from excitement to nervousness. Meng Tao came over from pre-sales several times a day to ask if there was any news.
The closer the announcement date gets, the more anxious we become. We joked that it was like waiting for the college entrance examination results.
On the fifth day, Peng Xin suddenly rushed out of the director's office. A large number of people in the office stood up suddenly, and everyone saw him running into the president's office.
Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen were sitting on the sofa in the reception area. There was a tablet on the coffee table, and the two were having a video call with Owen.
Peng Xin stopped at the door and panted, "Mr. Xiang, Secretary Chu, the bidding results have been announced."
Xiang Mingzhang asked: "How is it?"
Peng Xin replied excitedly: "We won the bid!"
The atmosphere outside the office was boiling. Xiang Mingzhang and Chu Shichen looked at each other, and the months of hard work and mutual comfort were all visible in their eyes.
Owen cheered on the screen, and Chu Shichen looked away, almost forgetting that someone was watching.
Xiang Mingzhang said to Owen: "You can rest assured."
Owen said: "I am really happy for you, and happy for the cooperation between Xiang Yue and UT."
When the dust had finally settled, Chu Shichen leaned his back against the cushion with his straightened back, relieving himself of the stress.
The video ended, the office door closed, and everything returned to silence. Xiang Mingzhang moved closer to Chu Shichen and asked, "Why aren't you talking?"
Chu Shichen didn't know what to say, so he thought for a while and said, "I'm going to Shenzhen tomorrow. Today I want to take Jianlan home. I'd like to ask Aunt Tang to take care of her for me."
Xiang Mingzhang said: "Do you remember what I said when I gave it to you?"
The gladiolus blooms step by step, which means rising step by step.
Chu Shichen's mind was slightly moved: "What do you want to say?"
Xiang Mingzhang thought about it earlier and more deeply than any bystander. Even though he was reluctant, he said, "The secretary's office attached to the president is too small."
Chu Shichen raised his eyes suddenly: "Xiang Mingzhang."
"Yes." Xiang Mingzhang promised, with appreciation, respect, and love, "Qingshang has been busy for a winter, after the Spring Festival, I will ask you to move to a better position."
(End of this chapter)