When Xiao Xun returned to St. Romane Corporation, Mu Jiahe sent him a message: "Wait for me outside your office for a bit, there's a meeting to attend."
Xiao Xun took the elevator to the top-floor office area and happened to meet Secretary Fan. Recalling the morning's events, he asked, "Is President Wang in? I need to talk to him about something."
Led by Secretary Fan, Xiao Xun met Wang Sucheng, who was eating from a boxed meal.
Seeing Wang Sucheng's boxed meal, Xiao Xun was greatly shocked. "President Wang, the cafeteria food is so delicious, why do you insist on ordering takeout?"
Wang Sucheng glanced at Xiao Xun, gestured for him to sit down, and then asked Secretary Fan to pour him some water.
"It's not that our cafeteria food isn't tasty, nor is it that I insist on eating takeout. It's for our employees to eat well and comfortably, so they can achieve results."
He then pointed at Xiao Xun, "Don't you realize you're the only senior executive in our company who eats in the cafeteria? Even department managers with a bit of real power consciously avoid it, for fear of causing psychological pressure on employees, leading them to eat poorly. If they don't eat well, their concentration wavers, and how can they be efficient?"
Hearing the word "efficiency," Xiao Xun sneered, "Given St. Romane's current state, what efficiency can be talked about? It's all about personal connections."
Wang Sucheng frowned, "Have you also heard the rumors from the HR department?"
Xiao Xun looked at Wang Sucheng's expression. "President Wang, these aren't rumors. You've been with the company longer than I have. You don't need me to tell you what they're like, do you?"
Wang Sucheng sighed, "Do you understand now how precariously I stand in this position, how I'm constantly on pins and needles?"
"Then why did you choose me back then?"
Wang Sucheng tidied up the meal box and put it in a plastic bag. "It was out of necessity. The senior management saw that projects were consistently failing to materialize, user feedback was problematic day after day, responses were not timely, and maintenance was lacking. I didn't want the company to lose money, so I had to resort to this. Otherwise, the parent company would have cut all existing projects and personnel. At that point, everyone would have had to go back to the assembly line and work on sewing machines."
He then took out a cigar. "Your appearance brought a turning point and hope to the entire company, and it also solidified my resolve to sort out this mess. I just didn't expect you to encounter unexpected trouble."
Xiao Xun voiced his confusion. "Aren't personnel changes and evaluations in the HR department decided by senior executives? But now we're being led around by the nose by the HR department."
Wang Sucheng took a deep puff of his cigar, exhaling smoke as he said, "That's the theory, but in such a large conglomerate, true senior executives focus on the overall direction and don't concern themselves with these trivial matters. Therefore, some authority has to be delegated, which naturally leads to such problems."
Xiao Xun lamented, "It's truly a case of a thousand-mile dike crumbling due to an ant's nest. If this isn't stopped, this group will inevitably face major problems sooner or later."
The General Manager also sighed, "Who's to say otherwise? But I don't have many good options right now. With fetters on my feet, it's inconvenient to act, let alone when this is a matter where moving one part affects the whole. We can still cautiously move forward now, but if we truly make a move, we might collapse immediately."
Xiao Xun lowered his head. "But we can't just watch these parasites run rampant like this, can we?"
Wang Sucheng's expression suddenly turned stern. "You have no connection to the company now; at best, you are the CEO's personal assistant. Each department has its own supervisor, so you don't need to worry about it."
Although Xiao Xun didn't know why Wang Sucheng's attitude suddenly changed, he had to admit the other party was right, so he didn't say anything further and withdrew from the General Manager's office.
Xiao Xun looked at the scenery outside the window and thought: Cui Zhihao was right. I need to build my own team. Otherwise, no matter how high my position, I'll be a 'lonely person,' scattered like fallen leaves by the wind when a breeze blows.
In the future, when I start a company, the HR department must be my people, and the finance department must also be my people. With people and money, everything else will be manageable.
With this thought, he took out his phone and dialed the most familiar number in his contact list. "Hello! Cousin, are you free tonight? I'd like to treat you to a meal. As for the place, I'll send you the details later."
Just as he hung up with his cousin, Chu Ningxiang called.
Xiao Xun's heart pounded. He suppressed his emotions, answered the call, and tried to maintain a steady tone. "What's wrong?"
Chu Ningxiang said, her voice slightly choked, "Were you serious about what you said at noon?"
Xiao Xun didn't know how to answer. "My affairs, you should know from the news, right?"
"I know, but you're being framed!"
Xiao Xun nodded. "Yes, but I'm a controversial figure now. Every word and action is being watched by many. I'm afraid it will negatively affect you later."
The other party was silent for a moment. "Have you fallen for someone else?"
"No."
The answer was crisp and decisive.
The other party was silent again. "Okay, since you haven't fallen for someone else, and you're just afraid of dragging me down, then come find me this weekend, and we'll clear things up, alright?"
"Okay!"
Xiao Xun responded with a sound from his nose and then hung up the phone.
He glanced at the time; it was already the end of the workday, but Mu Jiahe had not come out.
Just then, his phone rang again. It was Mu Jiahe.
As soon as he pressed the answer button, he heard, "Xiao Xun, aren't you here yet?"
Xiao Xun stood up and looked around. "I'm here! I've been waiting outside your office for a long time."
Mu Jiahe replied, "I didn't see you when I came out. Hurry to the underground garage, I've been waiting for you for ages."
"Okay, got it."
Xiao Xun took the elevator to the parking lot. Mu Jiahe was sitting alone in the car with the door open, her expression cold.
Xiao Xun handed over the shoes he bought at the airport in Country H. "President Mu, a gift for you."
Mu Jiahe didn't reach out to take them. "You didn't give me a gift meant for someone else again, did you?"
"No, no, I specifically picked these out for your shoe size."
Upon hearing this, Mu Jiahe's face showed a hint of a smile. She took the shoes and opened them to look. "Just these shoes?"
Xiao Xun patted another bag. "This is for my cousin."
Mu Jiahe said, "Oh." Then she asked, "You bought a set of clothes for yourself, gave me a pair of shoes, and a bag for your cousin. Who are the watches for?"
Xiao Xun was taken aback, then remembered that he had used Mu Jiahe's card, and she received all the spending records.
Seeing Xiao Xun blush, Mu Jiahe stopped teasing him. "Alright, I won't ask. Get in the car."
Xiao Xun started the car. "President Mu, are we going home, or somewhere else?"
Mu Jiahe, instead, asked with curiosity, "Aren't you meeting your cousin?"
Xiao Xun turned to look at Mu Jiahe. "Were you eavesdropping on my phone?"
Mu Jiahe immediately looked displeased. "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't have that kind of habit. Is the bag you're holding not a gift for your cousin? Surely you're not planning to send it to her another day?"