"We'll do as you say. Now, come with me to complete the procedures. Tomorrow morning, get your makeup done, put on the uniform, wear your heels, and report to me on time."
"To be frank, He Yao, tomorrow I'm officially starting negotiations with the Zhan Group. You're more professional than I am in this area, so you have to accompany me."
"I'm giving you face, and you have to give me face in return. We absolutely must get this done."
"On the surface, we're superior and subordinate, but in private, we're always old classmates. If I climb aboard the Zhan Group, I'll get rich, and you can share in the spoils. We're achieving success for each other, right?"
He Yao blamed no one, only herself for being short-sighted and uninspired, afraid to even ask for her salary.
What was a mere 10,000 yuan to Xu Zheng, who could afford to run a company?
Did he think this small sum would scare her away and draw a line between them?
She regretted it deeply.
But she had painted herself into a corner, leaving her with no room to advance or retreat.
She could only try to pry information out of Xu Zheng.
"Is Zhan Jingrui the current CEO of the Zhan Group?"
"No. His father is still young and can hold on for a few more years. Zhan Jingrui is at most a crown prince. He's currently only in charge of the Suzhou branch."
"That's still a pretty significant position. With him around, wouldn't you be able to secure business easily? You wouldn't need to..."
Xu Zheng, with an air of superiority, explained to her.
"You can't say that. Although we want to get rich, we still have to rely on our own strength. Without strength, Zhan Jingrui can protect me for a while, but can he protect me forever?"
"The fact that he's visiting the workshop today is proof of our strength. We don't need his extensive care, just an introduction. I'm confident I can break into the Zhan Group on my own merits, without his help."
"I don't have high expectations for you. Just perform normally at the crucial moments with what you know. This job should be quite easy to handle, right?"
That was more like it.
As long as she didn't have to meet Zhan Jingrui, Xu Zheng, this brute, was easy enough to deal with.
He Yao knew this very well.
Her education wasn't high, and it was already difficult to achieve her current salary level.
If she were to jump to another company, she'd have to start all over again.
The money she had saved over the years wasn't enough to buy even a small apartment.
If Xu Zheng genuinely increased her salary and added commission, and if she stayed by his side for another year or so, she'd have enough money to buy a house.
She really didn't want to deal with him, but she could leave once she saved enough for the house.
Finally, the two of them settled the terms of her employment, and He Yao went with Xu Zheng to the office building to complete the onboarding procedures.
Before the end of the workday, Xu Zheng finally received a WeChat message from Zhan Jingrui, giving him a phone number and telling him to contact that person.
Xu Zheng was ecstatic. He quickly dialed the number, introduced himself, and asked to meet for dinner that evening.
The other party was a procurement specialist under a purchasing manager in the market department, a very ordinary frontline employee with no real power.
It was just that his superior had mentioned a supplier whose qualifications needed to be assessed and asked him to schedule a time with the supplier. Once assessed and their products verified, if they met procurement standards, they would be given some orders.
Therefore, the procurement specialist also rejected Xu Zheng with a business-as-usual attitude.
"No need for dinner. Let's arrange the supplier qualification assessment."
"I'll send you a form. Prepare the necessary documents and products as listed. Come to the company in two days, and I'll arrange for dedicated personnel to review them. Once approved, we'll conduct on-site visits to discuss orders."
"Yes, yes, yes, alright, alright, good, good."
Xu Zheng agreed with profuse thanks.
The next day, He Yao went to work, and Xu Zheng gave her the assessment form from the other party, asking her to prepare it.
He Yao diligently prepared for two days. On the morning of the third day, Xu Zheng, having scheduled a time with the procurement specialist, went with her to the Zhan Group to submit the documents.
In reality, there was no need to arrive so early.
The procurement department started work at eight o'clock. They still needed to arrange for the team to review their products. After all the preparations, it would be close to nine o'clock.
But Xu Zheng wouldn't listen, believing that since he wanted to secure business, he had to be more humble, go early to build relationships, and make arrangements, which would make things easier in the future.
So, he and He Yao arrived at the Zhan Group at seven-thirty.
Upon reaching the first floor, the receptionist informed them that the staff had not yet started work and asked them to wait in the lounge area.
Xu Zheng, dressed impeccably in a suit, and He Yao, wearing a new professional skirt suit with light makeup, sat in the lounge area, watching the Zhan Group employees come and go, beginning their long wait.
Xu Zheng, like a busybody, kept making phone calls and sending messages, contacting various people.
He Yao, holding her computer bag and a bag of samples, sat beside him, lost in thought.
As it approached eight o'clock, there was a sudden commotion in the lobby.
Two female receptionists and several security guards in uniform suddenly stood up from their posts and rushed towards the lobby entrance.
They lined up on either side, men on the left and women on the right, respectfully facing the entrance.
He Yao instinctively followed their gaze towards the door. A few seconds later, two men in suits, with refined demeanors, walked in side-by-side, talking as they entered.
One man was young, tall, and had sharp, youthful features.
The other had salt-and-pepper hair, a medium build, and a calm, capable appearance.
Together, the two exuded an aura that extended for several meters, instinctively inspiring awe.
No wonder everyone had rushed to greet them.
"Good morning, President Zhan, Mr. Fu."
It turned out that Zhan Jingrui was the current executive president of the Zhan Group's Suzhou branch, and Fu Qishan was also present.
He Yao knew how small Xu Zheng's company was. If not for Zhan Jingrui's attention, they wouldn't have had the capital to even enter.
Even if they had entered, they wouldn't have been able to meet Zhan Jingrui.
Therefore, she felt very relaxed.
Unexpectedly, as she was relaxing, Zhan Jingrui still entered her field of vision.
Today, he was easier to observe than yesterday.
He Yao clearly saw that he had matured considerably since their school days.
Back then, although his frame wasn't thin, he had a youthful slenderness.
Now, even through his suit, one could tell how firm and broad his chest was. His features were also more mature and defined.
He truly possessed a handsome face, the kind that could captivate thousands of girls at first glance.
With just one glance, He Yao, feeling a pang of weakness, thought of their past.
A physique like this, a face like this, those handsome eyes and mouth, had once belonged to her for a period.
She dared not think about it.
Although many years had passed, every time she woke up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning, thinking of him, thinking of the sweet times they had spent together, her heart still ached as if pierced by a knife.
Not to mention the vast difference between them now.
Fearing that Zhan Jingrui would notice her, He Yao quickly lowered her head after looking for a few seconds.
At their walking pace, they would disappear from sight in less than ten seconds.
It would be difficult to see him again in the future.
However, while He Yao wanted to remain low-key, Xu Zheng did not.
He wished that all employees of the Zhan Group knew about his connection with Zhan Jingrui.
While on the phone, he saw Zhan Jingrui enter and quickly stood up to greet him.
"Good morning, President Zhan!"