Xu Zheng's goal today was only to win over President Fu, so he didn't insist that Zhan Jingrui stay.
Hearing him say that, He Yao was a little surprised. Since he had come, why…
However, it was better that he left.
She felt uncomfortable being watched by him while playing chess; if he left, she could perform normally.
Neither of them looked at the other. Zhan Jingrui left in a cloud of dust after speaking.
The other three politely entered the inner room.
Xu Zheng chose a beautiful place to please President Fu, with an antique charm that evoked the mood for chess.
President Fu didn't say much. Xu Zheng had been hoping He Yao would speak more, but He Yao remained silent throughout.
The two played back and forth quietly, and a game of chess lasted over an hour without ending.
Xu Zheng couldn't understand the game and had to stay by their side, his eyelids drooping with sleepiness.
Finally, just as he was about to fall asleep, the game concluded.
President Fu laughed heartily, looking at He Yao with admiration.
"Not bad, you play very skillfully. Little He, I didn't realize you were so capable. The younger generation is indeed formidable."
He Yao's chess play had been a nerve-wracking experience.
She had to let President Fu win, but also couldn't let him win too easily, which took a lot of mental effort. In the end, he still saw through it.
She smiled and replied politely, "Not at all. President Fu was clearly the superior player; I accept my defeat wholeheartedly."
President Fu waved his hand, "I just wanted to pass the time, but I didn't expect to meet someone who truly understood the game. My long-dormant chess passion has been reignited."
"You, don't be so formal with me. Play as you normally would, and let's have another game, how about it?"
He Yao smiled and said, "I was playing normally, and I am indeed no match for you."
"There's no need to tell me such falsehoods; I'm not senile to that extent."
President Fu reset the chessboard.
"The greatest respect you can show me is to not play games. Come, let's continue."
Xu Zheng quickly interjected, "It's almost lunchtime, President Fu. You must be hungry, right? Why don't we have lunch before we continue playing?"
"We just finished breakfast, and there's been no activity. How can I be hungry? Or are you two hungry?"
"I'm not hungry either," He Yao agreed with him. "In that case, let's begin."
The two found worthy opponents in each other and started a new game.
With President Fu's words, He Yao played more relaxedly this time, without reservations. In less than an hour, President Fu was defeated.
President Fu laughed heartily, "Your skill is excellent. It's just that I was careless just now and made a wrong move, so I'm not entirely convinced. Let's play another game."
The two played another round.
One game ended, and then another.
They didn't eat lunch and sat for the entire afternoon until President Fu had played enough and was feeling a bit tired, at which point they stopped.
"Today was incredibly enjoyable. You've successfully allowed me to indulge my passion. Little He, if you don't mind, I'd like to make you a chess friend. Shall we arrange to meet again on weekends when you're free?"
Xu Zheng couldn't have asked for more and quickly accepted on He Yao's behalf.
"That would be wonderful. It's He Yao's honor to be chess friends with a distinguished figure like yourself. President Fu, dinner is arranged. Let's eat."
President Fu knew that Xu Zheng was trying to get close to him by eagerly arranging the chess match.
Since the man had accompanied him all day, he couldn't refuse.
He requested a casual meal, and the three went to a restaurant with a serene ambiance and ordered some home-style dishes.
They didn't discuss work during the meal. President Fu asked about He Yao's basic situation, and the rest of the conversation revolved around chess, making for a very pleasant meal.
The dinner ended before eight o'clock. Xu Zheng saw President Fu home, and at the door, he finally got his contact information, making future chess meetups possible.
The day concluded successfully.
On the way back, Xu Zheng was very pleased.
"He Yao performed well today. Although she didn't reach the heights I desired, she at least didn't make President Fu dislike her, and she managed to get his contact information. That's very good."
"If you continue to put in effort and cultivate the relationship, it's only a matter of time before he becomes one of our people."
He Yao wasn't as happy as he was.
"President Fu isn't stupid; can't he tell what your intentions are? The fact that he gave you his contact information is purely because he couldn't refuse today, and it doesn't mean he's willing to become one of our people or go easy on you at work."
"I think we still need to rely on our own strength. Even if they do go easy on us, we shouldn't embarrass them."
"That's natural. I understand that much. The results from Monday will be out soon. As long as your work preparation is sound, we'll definitely succeed."
Xu Zheng said, "We'll start with a small order and take it step by step. We'll be able to take on big orders in the future."
The weekend passed in a flash. On Monday, the procurement officer notified Xu Zheng that the preliminary review had passed and he needed to bring someone for an on-site inspection.
After a busy day, there were basically no issues. After completing some paperwork, they could proceed to the business negotiation phase.
On Tuesday, Xu Zheng received a reply from the procurement officer.
The performance of a certain product was somewhat unstable, and the technical department needed to conduct experimental testing, asking him to send someone to follow along.
Xu Zheng didn't dare to delay and immediately took He Yao to Zhan's Group.
The procurement officer arranged a time with the engineer in charge of that product type, and they all went to the laboratory for testing.
After a series of operations, the experimental results would take several hours to come out. Xu Zheng had other matters to attend to. Hearing He Yao say that there were no problems and the operation process went smoothly, he decided to leave He Yao there alone.
"I'm leaving now. You stay here by yourself. Be sweet-mouthed, be observant, and get along with everyone. Even if there are minor issues, they won't mind. Inform me immediately when the results are out."
He Yao waited in the laboratory. Soon, it was lunchtime, and an engineer came to greet her.
"It's lunchtime. I'm going to the cafeteria to eat. How will you have your lunch?"
He Yao said, "You go ahead and eat. I had a late breakfast, so I'm not hungry."
"That won't do. Even if you're not hungry, you still need to eat. Even if it's just a little."
The technical department was mostly comprised of men, and they rarely encountered a professionally aligned female, especially a pretty one. After interacting with her all morning, they had a very good impression of He Yao.
However, they didn't want to invite her out for a meal alone on their first meeting.
"Why don't you eat in our cafeteria? Lunch is free, just swipe my card."
"Our company's food is quite good; don't look down on it."
Since they spoke so kindly, how could He Yao refuse? She followed the engineer to the cafeteria.
It was her first time there, and she was unfamiliar with everything. The engineer was very attentive, always walking ahead and guiding her.
He even held her tray for her when they were getting food.
He Yao felt a little embarrassed, "I can do it myself. You're making too much trouble for yourself."
"It's no trouble. Would you like some soup? The seaweed and egg drop soup is always made well. I'll get this, or perhaps you can get two bowls of soup?"
He Yao agreed. Turning around, she saw two large barrels with faucets on a table by the window, with people queuing there. She joined the queue to get soup.