Trying to Please

Secretary Zhou, of course, did not believe a word of Lin Qi’s nonsense.

In his eyes, Lin Qi was nothing more than Tang Long’s spy, sent to gather intelligence and secrets.

However, now was not the right time to expose him.

Secretary Zhou maintained his pleasant smile and said, “So that’s how it is, Mr. Lin. Please, continue your tour.”

“Mm, is everything alright with President Song? If anything comes up, call me anytime.”

“All good for now,” Secretary Zhou replied.

Lin Qi took his leave.

Secretary Zhou then entered the office, grabbed a file at random, and prepared to leave.

Manager Zhan quickly blocked his way. “Secretary Zhou, who was that just now?”

From the conversation earlier, Manager Zhan could tell Lin Qi was no ordinary figure.

Secretary Zhou answered casually, “He’s President Song’s bodyguard and driver, just started today.”

With that, he left, still intent on keeping an eye on Lin Qi.

Manager Zhan was dumbfounded.

President Song Qingzhu’s bodyguard and driver—this was not a position for just anyone.

Such a role put him at the president’s side; while he might not wield real power, his status was no less than Secretary Zhou’s!

It was much like the eunuchs by the emperor’s side; everyone said eunuchs had no say in state affairs, but who would dare disrespect them? Just a few words in the emperor’s ear from such a person could dictate the course of your entire life!

“See? What did I tell you! I said he was a big shot!” Supervisor Wei, feeling vindicated at last, was so emotional his eyes nearly brimmed with tears.

Manager Zhan turned to Supervisor Wei, patted him on the shoulder, and said, “Well done, Supervisor Wei!”

Down in the parking lot of Jinyang Group, several Buick business vans slowly rolled to a stop, and a group of people stepped out.

They were from a branch of Longyue Group—Manager Bu himself had led the team, bringing along Luo Feifei and other middle managers for a final round of negotiations with Manager Zhan.

Everything hinged on today; whether the project could proceed smoothly depended on this meeting.

But after being repeatedly frustrated by Manager Zhan in the past few days, morale was low; everyone looked dispirited and lethargic.

Seeing this, Manager Bu felt pained as well. But as a senior branch leader, he could not show weakness. Instead, he rallied the group: “Manager Zhan is indeed a tough nut to crack, but this is also a great opportunity for all of you! Let me make this clear: whoever can win over Manager Zhan today will be promoted to deputy manager of our branch! I give you my word—I’ll report it to the higher-ups!”

From supervisor to deputy manager—an enormous leap.

It wasn’t just about a higher salary; it meant a leap in status, and possibly a pathway into the group’s headquarters in the future.

Manager Bu’s words had the desired effect—enthusiasm was instantly rekindled, and everyone’s fighting spirit returned.

“Let’s go!” Manager Bu was very pleased to see the renewed vigor.

The group made their way to a certain floor upstairs.

Manager Zhan, Supervisor Wei, and others had already prepared, reserving the largest conference room.

Both sides took their seats.

“Which one is Luo Feifei?” Manager Zhan asked Supervisor Wei in a low voice.

There were both male and female supervisors; it was hard to tell who was who.

“That one over there…” Supervisor Wei pointed discreetly in a direction.

Manager Zhan immediately walked over to Luo Feifei.

Luo Feifei had just sat down, her mind busy strategizing how to handle Manager Zhan’s tricky questions, when he was already standing before her.

“Supervisor Luo, hello!” Manager Zhan smiled warmly, reaching out his hand.

“Ah, Manager Zhan, hello, hello…” Luo Feifei hurriedly stood, surprised and flattered to shake his hand.

Except for Supervisor Wei, everyone else wore looks of astonishment. Given Manager Zhan’s rank and status, for him to take the initiative to greet a supervisor from the other side was not only strange, but downright bewildering!

Manager Bu was equally puzzled, unable to guess what Manager Zhan was up to.

Could he have taken a liking to Luo Feifei’s looks?

But Manager Zhan showed no sign of inappropriate behavior—his handshake was brief and courteous, and he even put on the kindly air of a senior, smiling as he said, “I’ve heard from Supervisor Wei that you’re quite a talent—not only is your project proposal excellent, but you’re also very presentable. Seeing you today, I can confirm it’s true!”

Hearing this, several people nearly fainted.

There had been no shortage of meetings lately, but this was certainly not what Manager Zhan had said before!

Luo Feifei herself was at a total loss, but since she was being praised, she could only smile and reply, “You flatter me, Manager Zhan.”

“Not at all, not at all…” Manager Zhan kept smiling, then turned and said, “Supervisor Wei, quickly, serve some tea to Supervisor Luo!”

“Yes, yes!” Supervisor Wei hurried over, pouring water and serving tea for Luo Feifei.

This scene left the others utterly stupefied.

Usually, such things were the responsibility of the support staff. For one supervisor to serve another—this was unheard of!

But what happened next was even more astonishing.

Apparently dissatisfied with Supervisor Wei’s clumsy service, Manager Zhan snatched up the teapot himself and personally poured tea for Luo Feifei.