Knowing that Vice President Gao would say this, Jiang Nanfang wouldn't have impulsively suggested he be her godfather!
After handing over the well-developed new product to him, did she still need to resort to emotional blackmail?
According to his logic, would she be unable to survive after leaving Zhan's company?
She could help with other matters, but after just having a falling out with Zhan Beijue and issuing threats,
She never wanted to see Zhan Beijue again, so she absolutely could not help with this.
"I'm sorry, Vice President Gao. I'm really not feeling well. Even if I went, I wouldn't be able to do much. Please let me off the hook and let me rest at home."
"You don't need to do anything. You just need to show up and sit there."
"Nanfang, I'm getting old and am about to retire. Perhaps this product you designed will be the last work of my career. I want it to have a perfect ending. I beg you, please grant me this wish."
"Are you thirsty? Would you like some water?" Jiang Nanfang tried to change the subject.
Vice President Gao shook his head, staring intently at her.
"No, I'm not thirsty. Please consider what I just said carefully."
Jiang Nanfang insisted, "I can record a VCR for you, and you can play it during the speech. Please spare me and don't make me go to the event."
"Sigh," seeing that she wouldn't agree no matter how nicely he asked, Vice President Gao became disheartened.
"It seems I haven't treated you well enough, and the company hasn't treated you well enough, to keep your heart. Since you really don't want to go, then forget it."
Later, during dinner, all the colleagues were cheerful, except for the gloomy Vice President Gao.
Jiang Nanfang secretly observed his expression. Seeing his unhappiness, she couldn't be happy either.
The meal was tasteless.
Midway, she felt nauseous again and went to the balcony for some air. Engineer Li quietly followed her.
"What's wrong with Vice President Gao? What did you two talk about? Why is he suddenly like this?"
Jiang Nanfang recounted their conversation.
Engineer Li said, "Just give him some face and go, at least. Honestly, Vice President Gao is under a lot of pressure. He will completely retire at the end of next month."
"He built the electrical company from scratch and managed it for six years. It's only this year that things have picked up significantly. Sigh, in short, everyone has their difficulties. Help him if you can."
Jiang Nanfang was completely guilt-tripped.
She felt as though not going would be letting down Vice President Gao. After much thought, she had to swallow her pride.
"I'm sorry, Vice President Gao. I was too firm in my refusal earlier. Actually, it's fine if I go. What time do we depart tomorrow? I'll meet up with you."
The company had arranged three large buses, dividing the more than 100 colleagues into three groups, each on a different bus.
The technical department and the finance department were on the same bus.
The technical department was all men, and the finance department was all women. When the "women's army" met the "monk group," the bus erupted in noise as soon as they boarded.
Everyone was acting as if they were out for a social gathering, laughing and joking, having a great time.
Jiang Nanfang arrived a bit late, and all the back seats were already taken.
She could only sit in a window seat in the second row.
Vice President Gao, controlling the situation, sat in a separate seat in the first row, diagonally in front of her.
He was holding a roster, calling out names.
Soon, it was time, and everyone had arrived. Just as they thought the bus would depart, Vice President Gao announced,
"There's one more person. President Zhan is also on our bus. He'll be here soon."
"President Zhan? He's coming too? And on the same bus as us?"
Everyone was so excited they almost shook the bus apart.
Just then, Zhan Beijue, who was fashionably late, arrived.
Ah Zhong escorted him to the entrance, and he stepped onto the bus.
"Ah!!" All the female employees from the finance department screamed.
"Welcome, President Zhan! Welcome to ride the same bus as us!"
"President Zhan looks so handsome today. Welcome, President Zhan!"
Zhan Beijue was dressed casually again today.
A black t-shirt, black cropped pants, white sneakers, sunglasses, and a baseball cap.
Tall with long legs, he looked like a celebrity out on the street, incredibly cool.
He nodded at everyone expressionlessly, scanned the bus, and saw no empty seats.
He looked at Vice President Gao.
Vice President Gao pointed to a seat for him, "There's a seat saved for you. Sit next to Engineer Jiang."
He then looked down and realized that Jiang Nanfang was sitting in the window seat.
After the new product was completed, she was pregnant and had taken a long leave, hadn't she?
Why would she be here at this time?
Jiang Nanfang also hadn't expected such an awkward situation.
Just yesterday she had said she wanted him to die a horrible death if they met again, and today they were going to sit together.
Ironic.
The weather was exceptionally sunny, the sunlight dazzling. Jiang Nanfang was also wearing sunglasses and a baseball cap.
She looked up and met his gaze. Neither of them spoke, and she turned her head towards the window.
Look at her stubbornness.
If she didn't want to see him, he didn't want to see her either.
Zhan Beijue looked at Vice President Gao, "Why are you sitting there and making me sit here? Let's switch. I don't like being squeezed in with people."
Vice President Gao waved the roster and game list in his hand.
"We're going to arrange some games to avoid boredom on the road. I'll be here as the host to manage the proceedings. If you're willing to take over my job, you can, and we can switch."
He hadn't expected Vice President Gao to be so full of new ideas at his age.
He still had to arrange programs on the road?
And host? Zhan Beijue had no interest in such a boring job.
With so many eyes watching, it wouldn't be good to openly have a spat with Jiang Nanfang.
He had no choice but to sit down.
Once everyone was present, the bus started moving.
The familiar streets, an ordinary weekend, but with the addition of the handsome boss, everyone's mood was exceptionally cheerful.
Everyone spoke louder and more enthusiastically than the last.
Finally, the games began.
The first item was an idiom chain.
Vice President Gao had voluntarily prepared a bag of candy, giving a lollipop to anyone who answered correctly.
On-the-spot rewards. Everyone was highly motivated.
Of course, it wasn't just for the candy; people tend to want to show off when there are many of them.
Especially when the boss was present.
One round of idiom chaining, starting from the cheerful "兴高采烈" (xīng gāo cǎi liè) and ending with self-created idioms, lasted for more than ten minutes.
It was full of humorous moments.
Even the driver couldn't help but laugh along.
Zhan Beijue and Jiang Nanfang, however, were both remarkably composed, not making a sound throughout.
Jiang Nanfang found it amusing, but with the person who ruined her mood sitting beside her, she couldn't laugh.
As for what Zhan Beijue was thinking, no one knew.
He sat there like a stone sculpture.
The two of them tried to lean in opposite directions, with more than ten centimeters of space between them.
The first game was a great success, successfully building the atmosphere.
After distributing the bag of candy, Vice President Gao announced the second game.
"A group game, department versus department. Completing poems."
"I'll say a line. People from the two departments will answer in turn, completing the previous or next line. Whoever answers correctly the most will get ten points. Prizes will be awarded at the end."
There were a total of eight technicians in the technical department.
Including the finance manager, there were only six people in the finance department.
The team distribution was uneven. The women complained.
"Your side has President Zhan and Engineer Jiang, totaling ten people. Isn't that bullying us?"
"No, Vice President Gao, we strongly request that President Zhan and Engineer Jiang be included in our team. We're short of them!"