Deputy General Manager Gao was beaming. "Yes, last year we mentioned wanting to develop the northwest electrical market. Due to insufficient manpower and the vastness of the project, we didn't have suitable personnel to send over."
"But as soon as Engineer Jiang joined the company this year, she took on this task. A young girl, so young..."
No wonder she had told him outside the Zhou family villa that she was going to conquer the northwest. So that was it.
But was this woman really that capable? After not seeing her for a few years, she could now single-handedly manage a project?
Zhan Bei Jue didn't believe it.
Bragging and scheming were Jiang Nan Fang's personal traits. She might be up to some trickery again this time.
She had only just gone. If she had the ability, she should really achieve something to show him.
Zhan Bei Jue was dismissive and sat back down. "Don't rush to tell me how amazing she is. Let's see some results first."
Deputy General Manager Gao found his point reasonable; it wasn't good to claim credit too early.
Engineer Li sent him another message: "Deputy General Manager Gao, could you create a group chat for our project team? We can report to you directly in the group if anything comes up."
"Although we've arrived, the equipment is still on its way. Engineer Jiang paid for building the signal tower and buying supplies today. If similar situations arise in the future, can we resolve them directly in the group?"
Sending people to such a harsh frontline and not providing adequate support, making employees pay out of pocket for everything, Deputy General Manager Gao immediately agreed.
"Okay, I'll create it now."
After inviting everyone, he glanced at Zhan Bei Jue sitting beside him and leaned in slightly. "Mr. Zhan."
"I'm creating a group chat for the northwest project to facilitate communication. Shall I add you too?"
It wasn't a particularly significant project. Was it necessary for him to personally supervise it? Zhan Bei Jue initially wanted to refuse, but then he thought of Jiang Nan Fang...
"Okay."
Everyone accepted the invitation, and the group was quickly established. Deputy General Manager Gao sent a message to everyone in the group.
"Mr. Zhan and I are both here. We know you're all working hard on the frontline, and on behalf of the company, I want to thank you for your hard work in advance."
"If you need anything, contact me directly in the group. If I'm unavailable or miss your message, contact Mr. Zhan. The company will fully support every decision you make. Let's work together with one heart to create brilliance!"
As expected of someone who had been in management for decades, he started with some inspiring motivational talk that made everyone feel full of fighting spirit, even if they hadn't eaten.
Engineer Li: "Okay, Deputy General Manager Gao, we'll do our best!"
Engineer Tian: "Let's go, let's go!"
Others replied with encouragement one by one. Zhan Bei Jue picked up his phone and took a look.
It was just a bunch of men talking. He didn't see Jiang Nan Fang.
Fortunately, Deputy General Manager Gao promptly resolved his doubt: "Why haven't I seen Engineer Jiang speak? Could it be that she's not used to it yet and is tired?"
Engineer Li said, "Engineer Jiang went to boil water to take a bath. She got covered in sand during the day. We men are okay, but she's really uncomfortable."
Engineer Tian: "The wind and sand here are really strong. I only saw deserts on TV before, but I never expected it to feel like this when I actually came here. After a day of work and a day of wind, my hair and eyes were full of sand, and so was my mouth."
"The crucial thing is that water is scarce here. The entire village relies on a single well for water. To drink water, you have to fetch it from the well. To wash your face, you have to fetch it, and to take a bath, you have to carry water, and then come back to boil it with firewood."
Engineer Zhang also chimed in: "After the signal tower was completed today, we took a group photo. Deputy General Manager Gao, can you recognize who is who?"
With that, two beeps sounded, and two photos were sent into the group.
Zhan Bei Jue clicked on the first one, the group photo.
There were six people in the photo, standing in a vast desert. Behind them, a simple signal tower had been erected out of nowhere in the desert.
The six people varied in height and build, but their attire was identical: black clothes, black shoes, black sunglasses, and masks covering their faces, making them look like masked enforcers from The Matrix.
If he hadn't been familiar enough with Jiang Nan Fang, he would never have recognized that there was a woman among these six people.
After only a day apart, had this woman done this to herself?
The next photo showed Jiang Nan Fang working, taken secretly from another person's perspective.
She was kneeling on the ground with one leg, holding a welding machine and welding an aluminum alloy frame. Her posture was skilled and cool, which greatly surprised him.
Deputy General Manager Gao became even more satisfied with the talent he had found. He praised everyone at length and encouraged them.
Putting down his phone, Deputy General Manager Gao smiled broadly, his eyes almost disappearing, and leaned closer to Zhan Bei Jue.
"What do you think? Our electrical company may not have much else, but aren't our colleagues very united?"
"They say that working with both men and women makes the work less tiring. I was so smart to have Engineer Jiang lead the team this time."
"..."
On the way back, Zhan Bei Jue stared at the messages in the group chat with a cold expression, his mood worsening with every message he read.
Jiang Nan Fang had gone to the harsh desert with five unmarried young men. They ate and lived together every day, and they even fetched water for her to bathe and wash clothes...
Hmph! This woman always found a way to attract men's attention, always found a way to be the one in the spotlight. She was simply restless and so calculating!
She didn't need to create manufactured charm. She was paid to do the job, and hardship was expected. She shouldn't pay attention to this group anymore!
Zhan Bei Jue exited the chat window and found the message notification settings, successfully setting them to do not disturb.
However, his mind was like it was possessed. The more he told himself not to think about something, the more uncontrollable his mind became.
Thinking about the lively chat in the group just now, Zhan Bei Jue suspected that Jiang Nan Fang would make another appearance after she finished washing her clothes.
She was so good at acting and pleasing Deputy General Manager Gao. Coupled with so many men as a backdrop, it was a perfect opportunity for her to show off. How could she not jump out and say a few words?
He endured it again and again, and again and again. To see how Jiang Nan Fang would perform among everyone, twenty minutes later, he took out his phone again.
There were no new messages.
It must be because her clothes weren't washed yet.
Zhan Bei Jue dismissively exited.
One second, two seconds...
He wasn't home yet and felt bored sitting in the car. He decided to see what she usually posted on her WeChat Moments.
He entered the group again, found the only female avatar among the group members, and clicked on it.
Jiang Nan Fang's WeChat name was actually just Nan Fang. Her avatar was a cute and silly little girl emoji. Her personal signature was blank. When he opened her Moments, there was just a single horizontal line.
Nothing at all?
When you are curious and try to pry into someone's privacy, and find nothing, the outcome is naturally disappointing.
This woman truly knew how to control people's psychology and tease them.
Hmph, Zhan Bei Jue completely threw his phone aside. Such a calculating woman.
On the third day, Jiang Nan Fang led everyone in a field survey, planning the power line routes and calculating the required quantities of materials. It was another busy day.
Everyone chatted while they worked. They didn't encounter any difficulties, so they didn't say anything unnecessary in the group chat.
As a result, Zhan Bei Jue didn't receive any messages from Jiang Nan Fang for the entire day.
The next day, the equipment finally arrived in the county town. It took the entire day for everyone to transport and install the equipment. He still didn't receive any messages from Jiang Nan Fang.
After a few days, Zhan Bei Jue didn't know what was wrong with him. He felt restless and unhappy. Every time he opened his phone and saw an empty chat box, he felt a pang in his heart.
He felt that his attention had been successfully captured. After not seeing her for a few days, he was particularly curious about who Jiang Nan Fang was with now.
To satisfy his curiosity, unable to bear it any longer, he took the initiative to visit the electrical company.