Financial Workplace Survival Guide – CH 015

Chapter 15 ☆, A Gentleman’s Revenge Is Never Too Late.

Xin Xin ignored Zheng Zaochuan’s question, still preoccupied with the extent of Zhao Xi’s involvement with the Chengjing boss.

“I met him once. He came to Haining, and Zhao Xi invited me to dinner.”

Zheng Zaochuan, unsure of what to think, asked, “He asked you to drink with him?”

Xin Xin felt that she and Zheng Zaochuan had been talking at cross purposes today, making communication particularly difficult.

“No, it was a private meeting.”

“He brought you along for a private meeting?”

Xin Xin glanced at Zheng Zaochuan unhappily. “Can you stop interrupting?”

Zheng Zaochuan obediently shut up and listened to Xin Xin’s recollections.

Chengjing’s boss, Mr. Li, was a clean-cut southerner, small in stature, speaking elegantly and with a perpetual smile on his face. He had a very good reputation, without any airs or gossip, almost like a breath of fresh air.

Zhao Xi hadn’t told Xin Xin how they met, but their relationship was more like a close friendship than a business partnership.

He had come to Haining simply because Zhao Xi was there, and he’d brought his family on a trip and visited Zhao Xi. During their conversation, the two of them were particularly personal, discussing Zhao Xi’s school and work, as well as his then-girlfriend, Fu Meng.

Xin Xin had actually accompanied Zhao Xi to many dinners, but this one was particularly memorable because of Mr. Li’s seemingly random matchmaking. She wondered what plot he had conjured from their interactions, constantly hinting that Zhao Xi should choose the one he saw.

“Xiao Zhao, Xin Xin is a discerning girl, quiet and reserved, not the type to meddle in other people’s affairs.”

He then asked Xin Xin with a smile, “Little girl, how old are you?”

Xin Xin answered obediently, and Mr. Li smiled and said, “Our Xiao Zhao is very talented. Young people, if you like someone, you should be brave enough to fight for it.”

The phrase “absolutely focused” perfectly captured Xin Xin’s state of mind at the time. Regardless of all the speculation and teasing, Xin Xin had, for quite some time, maintained a superior filter around Zhao Xi.

It was impossible for her to be in love; it was all about promotions and salary increases.

From this, Xin Xin deduced that Mr. Li not only knew Zhao Xi’s situation well but also had some influence over his personal affairs. From this perspective, the two of them definitely couldn’t have a relationship involving a transfer of benefits.

Zheng Zaochuan looked at her strangely. “You knew he had a girlfriend?”

Xin Xin said impatiently, “I found out shortly after I arrived. It’s not important…”

“Why isn’t it important?” Zheng Zaochuan’s voice rose an octave. “He has a girlfriend, yet he’s still pestering you—such a scumbag.”

Xin Xin gave him a strange look. “As someone in multiple relationships, what right do you have to criticize him? Besides, we’re not entangled; we’re just superiors and subordinates.” As she spoke, Xin Xin hesitated for a moment. If it weren’t for the phone call after Zhao Xi left, she would never have considered that they could have any further feelings.

Zheng Zaochuan was momentarily speechless, but he keenly sensed the change in Xin Xin’s attitude and said, unconvincingly, “That happened when I was young and naive. How long do you want to remember it?”

Xin Xin didn’t understand Zheng Zaochuan’s insistence on defending himself. She believed that even knowing about his many emotionally irresponsible behaviors didn’t affect their relationship.

Overall, Xin Xin was very rational.

If some people interacted based on instinct, with clear likes and dislikes, then Xin Xin’s approach was rational. When it came to relationships, unless it involved major issues, the nature of the relationship depended primarily on their personalities and the ability to get along well. She prioritized seeking common ground while reserving differences.

Just because Zheng Zaochuan was a completely irresponsible jerk in relationships didn’t prevent him from being an interesting friend to her.

Xin Xin respected Zheng Zaochuan’s principles of friendship and never defined their relationships.

But Zheng Zaochuan wasn’t satisfied with her explanation and stubbornly asked her, “If Zhao Xi and I aren’t even worthy of being considered men in your eyes, then what kind of men do you like? The one with glasses from yesterday?”

Xin Xin suddenly realized, “You saw me yesterday?”

Zheng Zaochuan was stunned for a moment, a slightly awkward look on his face, but quickly recovered.

“I saw you at your door. I was a little late for a social event yesterday.” He glanced at Xin Xin and said, with the air of an old father complaining about his late daughter, “You two were being affectionate so late at night and didn’t even come home.”

Xin Xin rolled her eyes. “What do you care?”

She desperately didn’t want to talk about it. Thinking of Zhang Qiao’s inexplicable, yet shy, feelings for Mary, she worried about further complications at work.

But Zheng Zaochuan saw this evasion as Xin Xin’s rage at being exposed.

He felt a complex mix of emotions. Seeing this mature, thoughtful woman reminded him of Xin Xin back then, with her innocent expression clearly written all over her face.

He felt a sense of sadness, a child now grown up and no longer under the control of her father.

“Girls grow up and can’t be kept at home. Why don’t you listen anymore?”

Zheng Zaochuan was truly strange. He had always been a bit muddleheaded with the opposite sex. Sometimes he’d do something ambiguous, and other times he’d suddenly play the brotherly, sisterly, heartbroken drama. Besides his sincerity, he offered all the tenderness and care he wanted for free.

Xin Xin hadn’t found it bothering her before, but lately, he’d become increasingly aggressive, and she felt she couldn’t let him continue.

“Zheng Zaochuan, you’re not my brother, and certainly not my father.”

Xin Xin raised her lips, her eyes teasing. Ignoring Zheng Zaochuan’s stunned expression, she hummed a song as she went to wash the dishes.

It was truly a time for the liberated serfs to sing. Finally, she had the chance to turn the tables on Zheng Zaochuan.

Thinking back to when she’d worked on projects for Zheng Zaochuan and helped him with his personal affairs, Xin Xin had once considered them good friends. But when people get to know each other well, it’s inevitable that there will be times when they lose their bearings and cross the line.

The incident stemmed from a scandal involving Zheng Zaochuan and a female celebrity, Xibei.

Xibei was the face of a Hanhai Group product, and the actress had taken a liking to Zheng Zaochuan after meeting him. Xin Xin believed Zheng Zaochuan also had feelings for her.

During that time, they were very close, and were photographed dining and traveling together numerous times. It was the first time Xin Xin had seen Zheng Zaochuan so concerned about a woman he had only just met.

It wasn’t a big deal; men should get married when they’re old enough, and women should get married when they’re old enough.

However, at this critical juncture, a university student interning in Zheng Zaochuan’s secretariat was photographed with Zheng Zaochuan at the entrance of a hotel one evening, appearing very intimate.

Instantly, Zheng Zaochuan was embroiled in a whirlpool of public opinion.

A relationship with an ordinary person would only result in a few insults, but a relationship with a female celebrity was different; it would be met with a barrage of venomous attacks from fans. This negative public opinion even impacted Hanhai’s stock price.

Xin Xin called Zheng Zaochuan and started blaming him. “You’re such a scumbag! Can’t you just keep it to yourself? Are you going to let the company I worked so hard to build be ruined by your irresponsible relationship?”

Zheng Zaochuan’s temper was naturally bad when he was in a state of panic, and that day was particularly bad. “Xin Xin, you’re not my mother, let alone my sister.”

From then on, Xin Xin and Zheng Zaochuan’s relationship reverted to familiar clients.

A few months later, the intern resigned, the actress ended their collaboration, and the storm subsided.

Xin Xin cleared the dishes and sent him away. “Okay, you’ve finished your meal; it’s time to go home.”

Zheng Zaochuan looked at Xin Xin, as if trying to read something from her face. After a moment, he sighed, “You really hold a grudge. Good, Xin Xin, revenge is never too late.”

Xin Xin smiled and said, “I’d forgotten about it a long time ago, but it was just a spur-of-the-moment decision.”

Zheng Zaochuan smiled wryly and stood up to leave. After reaching the door and taking another look at Xin Xin’s living quarters, he couldn’t help but say, “Please consider it. I beg you to move in with me. Your neighborhood is old, and I really don’t think you’d be safe living alone.”

Xin Xin didn’t comment and closed the door.

Sure enough, the next day at work, she heard about the Chengjing boss’s situation.

Xin Xin had considered many possibilities, but she hadn’t expected the situation to be so bizarre and absurd. Xin Xin had long known that Mr. Li had twins. As a CEO, he wasn’t a spendthrift or a womanizer. His weakness was his wife and children, and he was always willing to help them with anything they asked.

She had also heard rumors about Chengjing: if they wanted to get something done with Mr. Li, they could just get his wife on their side, and everything would be easy.

She hadn’t expected the trouble to end up with his wife and children.

After graduating from high school, he sent his two daughters abroad, and his wife followed to accompany them. This wasn’t a big deal in itself; his salary was more than enough to support his daughters’ studies in the United States.

The incident stemmed from one of his daughters, who, unbeknownst to him, had fallen in love with a male employee at his company during her summer internship. Love often fades quickly, and after the breakup, the male employee, harboring a grudge, uncovered flaws in her work and reported her under his real name.

The investigation uncovered other issues, and the person had now been detained.

That afternoon, Zhao Xi and his team arrived, barely even unpacking their belongings before entering the office to begin a meeting attended by all mid-level and above branch employees.

Sitting in the conference room, Xin Xin was startled. She’d assumed it was a department head coming to provide oversight, but it turned out to be Vice President Chen Gang.

Xin Xin glanced quickly at Zhao Xi. She hadn’t seen him in a while, and he looked visibly haggard. With a sinking feeling in her heart, she wondered, “Could he really be involved?”

But then she thought it was impossible. If he were truly implicated, he would have been suspended pending further investigation and wouldn’t be brought down with him.

“Let’s hold a meeting to briefly explain our purpose. I’m sure you’ve all heard that the chairman of our client, Chengjing, has engaged in personal misconduct, and the investigation is ongoing. Because we do business with them, we’re conducting a routine review of related projects. Mr. Zhao was the original liaison with Chengjing, and the head office’s projects have already been reviewed by a special inspection team. This trip to Haining is also to conduct a compliance review of related projects, so don’t worry.”

Xin Xin breathed a sigh of relief.

From Chen Gang’s tone, it seemed highly likely that Zhao Xi had suffered some injustice due to the Chengjing incident. If this inspection turned out to be unfounded, it would be a vindication of Zhao Xi.

Xin Xin had been transferred from her original department, but she had indeed been involved in the relevant projects at the time. Therefore, Chen Lisha designated Xin Xin and Fu Meng as contacts for this inspection.

Xin Xin remained silent during the meeting, and when she did express her support, she simply stated her full cooperation with the inspection.

But throughout the meeting, she felt Chen Gang looking at her with a scrutinizing gaze. Despite her efforts to maintain a businesslike attitude, Xin Xin felt a constant nagging feeling.