At this moment, Xiao Sanmao scratched his head and said rather sheepishly, "Brother, are you flush with cash lately? I'm a bit short on money, I'll pay you back when I have some..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Xun directly opened the car door and took out a handbag from it. He opened it without looking and pulled out all the cash inside.
"This is all I have on me. If it's not enough, I'll get some from the bank for you."
Xiao Sanmao took the money. "My brother is truly righteous. Don't worry, I'll definitely return it to you doubled."
"Whether you return it or not, let's not talk about that. When you're out there, especially traveling so far, you must be careful. If you really can't make it, just come back to me. Where would you go hungry?"
Xiao Sanmao raised the money. "Alright, with your words, brother, I'll definitely make something of myself."
The two chatted for a while longer, and then Xiao Sanmao left with the money.
The snow began to fall harder. Xiao Xun didn't want to travel too far, so he drove to the company.
After parking the car, he didn't get out but called Secretary Fan.
When the call connected, Secretary Fan's charming voice came from the other end, "Oh! How rare! What made President Xiao think of calling me?"
"Where are you right now?"
"At this hour? At home, of course. What? You miss me?"
"What's the situation with St. Roman Group?"
"What else could it be? All day long, we're either receiving threats or warnings. I never realized before how many tough people St. Roman had. They look like harmless, good-natured folks, but when it comes to their own interests, they can be quite ruthless."
Xiao Xun's heart skipped a beat. "Are you alright?"
"Thank you for your concern, leader. I'm fine. Don't worry, we'll remove the tumors bit by bit, and St. Roman will grow healthily."
"You must be careful. I've experienced the methods of those people."
"Don't worry. In the face of absolute strength, any scheme or method is equal to zero."
There was a moment of silence between them. Secretary Fan then asked, "President Xiao, you didn't call me this early just because of St. Roman, did you?"
Xiao Xun hummed in response. "We should still meet. Some things can't be explained in a few words over the phone."
The voice on the other end said playfully, "You're not actually missing me, are you?"
"If you want to understand it that way, that's fine too. Where are you? I'll come to you, or you can pick a place."
There was a brief silence. "Since President Xiao wants to see me, then come to my place."
Xiao Xun frowned. "Is that convenient?"
"Very convenient."
Secretary Fan sent him the address, and Xiao Xun drove to Secretary Fan's apartment according to the directions.
It was a half-hour drive from Ding Tai Group. Although it was an apartment, the facilities were very comprehensive and smart, and the price was naturally not low.
Xiao Xun entered the building's password and entered the apartment building. He took the elevator, his heart filled with apprehension as he ascended.
He felt a bit nervous, just like when he was preparing for his thesis defense.
He hadn't felt this nervous in years, especially when he reached Secretary Fan's doorstep. Although Secretary Fan had sent him the password, Xiao Xun still chose to knock.
"Knock, knock, knock~"
It felt like every knock was hitting his heart. He imagined what Secretary Fan would look like when she opened the door. His lips felt dry, and he didn't know what he was anticipating.
"Creak~"
The door opened. Secretary Fan, wearing a pair of large black-rimmed glasses and a cotton pajama set, moved aside, "Didn't I give you the password? Come in! It's cold outside."
Xiao Xun's face turned slightly red, and he walked in as if he were drunk.
Upon entering, his feet landed on a carpet. Secretary Fan looked at Xiao Xun, who stood at the entrance, unsure of what to do. "It's okay, you can come in barefoot. This carpet is very comfortable."
"You should still get me a pair of slippers!"
"What a coincidence, I have all my shoes here. You probably won't be able to wear them, will you?"
Xiao Xun had no choice but to take off his shoes.
After taking off his shoes, Xiao Xun stepped onto the carpet and walked further in. It was a duplex apartment, with the bathroom and living room downstairs, and the bedrooms upstairs.
Secretary Fan asked him, "Would you like something to drink? Coffee or milk?"
Xiao Xun sat on the sofa and waved his hand. "Thank you, I'm not thirsty."
Secretary Fan turned and went into the bathroom, not even closing the door. Xiao Xun looked around the room. The decoration was very simple and elegant.
Hearing the sound of water, Xiao Xun's face also turned red.
Next, the sound of a flushing toilet came from the bathroom, and Secretary Fan walked out.
"I wonder what President Xiao wants from me so early?"
Xiao Xun pursed his lips. He regretted it a little; he should have asked for a glass of water to cover his embarrassment.
"I'm sure you already know why I can be the CEO of Longtan Group. However, I've been here for so long and have been busy with my own matters. I don't know how far the plan has progressed, who is involved in the plan, and what I need to do."
Secretary Fan sat on a small stool opposite Xiao Xun with a blank expression. "You think too highly of me. Although I belong to this organization, my only obligation is to obey unconditionally. I don't have the right to know why we're doing this. The plan you mentioned might be top secret, and I wouldn't know. Can we pretend you never said anything today? Please?"
Looking at Secretary Fan's expression, which seemed a little fearful, Xiao Xun understood. Either the plan was fake, or it was a very important top secret. However, would Men Shen lie to him and do something so boring? So, the plan must be real.
Xiao Xun stood up. "Then can you contact your higher-ups?"
Secretary Fan gently shook her head. "No, I can't."
Hearing this, Xiao Xun started to walk towards the exit, saying, "Sorry to have bothered you."
As Xiao Xun was nearing the door, Secretary Fan called out, "Wait a moment."
Xiao Xun turned to look at her. "Is there anything else?"
"Sit for a little while, and then we can leave together, okay?"
Xiao Xun didn't know what Secretary Fan was up to, but after thinking about it, it seemed she wouldn't dare to do anything to him, so he agreed. "Okay, but can you tell me why?"
Secretary Fan smiled. "I'll tell you in the next chapter."
Secretary Fan looked at Xiao Xun, who was full of curiosity, and said, "You have many people around you. If you come in and go out so soon, it will be difficult for me to answer."
Xiao Xun said nothing more, just nodded, and began playing with his phone.
Recently, President Mi's phone had become very popular, with mixed reviews in the news, although there were more praises. This was somewhat influenced by Mu Jiahe's water army company.
That company's business had been surprisingly good these past few months, with many big shots asking for help in mobilizing public opinion.
Among them, a technology company was the most frequent client, and they were also generous. Although it was an old tech company, it had only recently entered the mobile communication field. It not only developed a system called "Chaos" but also competed with the Xing Tu system, though that was a story for later.
For now, there was no one who could compete with Xing Tu phones. Many people considered owning a Xing Tu phone a symbol of status, even going so far as to sell parts of their bodies to get one, which showed its success and appeal.
President Mi had put forward the slogan of "Buy Chinese, Be Proud," and had formed strategic alliances with several mobile phone manufacturers and designers. Their goal was simple: while the mobile phone market was a blue ocean, they occupied the mid-to-low-end segment. The high-end market was where the real wealth lay.