Financial Workplace Survival Guide – CH 041

Chapter 41 ☆, It’s You Who Should Reflect, Not Me.

Xin Xin really didn’t expect that there was such a hidden story between Zhao Xi and Fu Meng.

At first, she thought that Zhao Xi and Fu Meng were hiding their marital status for each other’s career development, but according to Mary, Fu Meng, as a newcomer to the company with little background, caused such a big problem. If it weren’t for Lin Chong’an protecting her, she would have been finished long ago.

As for their marriage, Mary speculated, “I guess it was a fake marriage, probably to help her quell the matter. I heard it from someone at the head office, because Zhao Xi took off like a rocket not long after his marriage.”

Xin Xin was stunned for a moment, recalling what Zhao Xi had told her about his relationship with Fu Meng. Every expression of his was filled with a tenderness of longing, which seemed genuine.

“You mean, what conditions did Zhao Xi reach with Lin Chong’an that allowed him to rise so quickly?”

He helped his ex-girlfriend, who had betrayed him, reach an agreement with her lover to enter into a fake marriage in exchange for a real future.

It was not just unbelievable; it was downright shocking.

Xin Xin found it difficult to draw a conclusion. Having worked with Zhao Xi for so many years, she was still very unsure whether she truly understood him. Zhao Xi was indeed very cautious, calculating, meticulous, and far-sighted.

More than one person thought he was an emotionless work machine.

Even Xin Xin once thought that Zhao Xi was the kind of person who would make perfect plans at every stage of life and would not hesitate to abandon others.

But when he talked about his past relationship with Fu Meng, and when he tried to get his close friend, who was in prison, out of the age gap, Xin Xin felt that he was not as heartless and ungrateful as others had said.

Over the years, things had gotten a bit messy under Lin Chong’an’s leadership, and he was also nearing retirement age. There was quite a few people in the head office eyeing his position; no matter how powerful he once was, he was then past his prime.

It was not uncommon for someone to had an affair with a wealthy older man for the sake of their future. But whether it was worth it depended on whether the benefits they gained was worthwhile.

Since the layoff list was leaked, although there had been no official confirmation of this matter, everyone had basically accepted that it was true.

Xin Xin believed that if all of this was true, then the most dignified way to break out of this predicament was probably to quickly find a way to get a similar position in another company through internal referral.

Fu Meng, however, did not think that way.

Previously, Xin Xin and Fu Meng had been actively working on the issue of rural enterprises issuing bonds. The first project was a cluster of rural enterprises that Xin Xin discovered around Haining City. This project had recently been implemented and had received a very good response.

Fu Meng also had a project she’s primarily responsible for. Although there was a precedent for rural revitalization bonds, it would have been easier to implement a second time. However, she insisted on expanding the business from the west, where the local branch offices was weak and the quality of businesses was low, which the head office wasn’t particularly supportive of.

But Fu Meng insisted on doing so. She had already conducted extensive research in the early stages, but she never expected that this would happen at the very last moment of the project.

Xin Xin never expected Fu Meng to come looking for her.

Fu Meng’s makeup was exquisite, and her smile was radiant; she showed no signs of being frustrated.

“Ms. Xin, please take a look at this project. I hope we can work together to ensure its successful implementation. I have visited this company many times beforehand. Their factory production chain is very complete, and they are considered a leading seed production company in Jinshi, S Province.”

Xin Xin glanced at the proposal; Fu Meng had already done a very thorough job with the preliminary work. Even without Xin Xin’s cooperation, Fu Meng could handle this project on her own without much trouble.

“I don’t understand; what do you need me to do?”

Fu Meng smiled and said, “Ms. Xin, you may not know, but Jinshi is my hometown.”

Xin Xin was taken aback. She had heard from others that Fu Meng came from a very remote mountain village in the Northwest, but she hadn’t paid attention to which city it was.

“I really put a lot of effort into this project. This company was already very successful when I was a child. The boss is also a very good person and has done a lot of charitable projects in the local area. They just lacked an opportunity. The financing environment in S Province is very poor, and some indirect financing methods, including banks, are very expensive.”

For the investment banking department, in addition to making money, the social benefits of projects also needed to be considered. Projects supporting remote areas in western China were, to some extent, more socially beneficial than economically beneficial.

Fu Meng stared blankly at the project proposal. From the company’s development to the local economic situation, from the local government’s support to the financing difficulties the company faced, Fu Meng made detailed marks on all of the company’s more than ten factories, from equipment to production lines.

Even if they only considered the mileage for business trips, Xin Xin guessed it should be quite considerable.

“You did all of this yourself, and it’s already been integrated to this extent. If I join, it’s to share the revenue with you, which is completely unnecessary.”

Xin Xin didn’t voice her concerns. If Fu Meng’s situation was true, the project might be transferred directly to her after it was completed. That would mean all of Fu Meng’s previous efforts would be wasted. In a battle between two rivals, she would benefit.

Xin Xin didn’t want to do something that involved taking credit for someone else’s work.

Fu Meng smiled. “Have you heard about that layoff plan?”

Xin Xin felt a little guilty, unsure whether to say yes or no.

Fu Meng glanced at her expression and said indifferently, “Lin Chong’an is about to retire, and I’m probably in a very precarious situation now. He had a very bad relationship with Chen Gang back then, and Chen Gang is currently in power. I’m likely in grave danger.”

Xin Xin genuinely didn’t understand. Could this kind of thing be discussed openly? She could only offer a weak excuse: “Actually, the layoff plan might not be true.”

Fu Meng seemed amused. “Why do you wear your thoughts on your sleeve? Don’t try to comfort me. I’ve thought it through. If this project comes to fruition, I’ll have a backup plan, and I think I can make it through smoothly. But if it doesn’t, that’s my fate, and I hope you can take over.”

Xin Xin had mixed feelings. A windfall had fallen into her lap, but she didn’t dare accept it. “Can I ask why you contacted me?”

In fact, Fu Meng could have collaborated with the venture capital department or the corporate department on this project; it didn’t necessarily have to be her.

Fu Meng shrugged. “There’s no reason. I don’t trust others. Right now, even my own people want to crush me. People from other departments who take materials from me today might kick me out of the project tomorrow. But…”

It’s you; you wouldn’t frame me.

In fact, since Fu Meng came to the company, she and Xin Xin have only cooperated on company matters and have no personal relationship.

One could even say they were open competitors within the company.

But Fu Meng seemed to have completely forgotten their disagreements and showed complete trust in Xin Xin.

“I need to think about it.”

Seeing that she couldn’t persuade Xin Xin, Fu Meng assumed she still had some lingering concerns. “This matter won’t do you any harm, and I have no reason to hurt you. I can tell you my bottom line: Zhao Xi and I have already dissolved our marriage. We separated peacefully.”

At this point, she looked at Xin Xin with a hint of surprise. “Besides, I don’t think you care about him much. He does like you quite a bit, but unfortunately, he’s just imagining things.”

Xin Xin was embarrassed. “Uh, it’s not about those things.”

Fu Meng said, “You may have heard about my story. I take responsibility for my actions, but you don’t have to think of me as despicable. I just really wanted to do this project well. You have strong professional skills and good performance. If I’m no longer around, you can apply to the head office to have this project discontinued.”

Having said that, Xin Xin had no choice but to agree.

She wasn’t actually opposed to cooperating with Fu Meng, but she was worried that she wouldn’t be able to handle it all because she had been investigating Su Chengjie’s case.

But Fu Meng was too sincere, and Xin Xin had no choice but to agree.

“I’ll do my best.”

Fu Meng’s tense expression relaxed, revealing a bit of childlike innocence. “Actually, there’s something I’ve never told anyone, and it’s quite embarrassing. When I was little, I could hardly go to school anymore. It was this company that donated money to our school, and I finished high school for free.”

Xin Xin never dared to listen to other people’s tragic pasts. Whenever this happened, she would find herself in an awkward situation where she wanted to say something but was afraid that what she said would be too hypocritical.

To truly understand someone’s perspective, one must have experienced the same pain.

Looking back on her life, Xinxin found it largely unremarkable. She was born into an ordinary middle-class family, had ordinary parents, and led a life of routine.

She had only seen such dramatic stories in TV dramas, and she couldn’t bring herself to sympathize with those heart-wrenching emotions.

But she also genuinely admired Fu Meng, saying, “You’ve really achieved what you have today; it’s truly impressive.”

A hint of emotion flashed in Fu Meng’s eyes, but she quickly smiled slyly. “Of course, I grew up herding sheep, while you all grew up sitting in cram schools. Today, you’re in the same position as me. It’s you who should reflect, not me.”

This was the first time Xin Xin had seen Fu Meng display such a powerful edge. She always seemed so gentle and tactful, never saying anything unpleasant.

Xin Xin couldn’t bring herself to hate Fu Meng.

During dinner that evening, she told Zheng Zaochuan about the incident verbatim and exclaimed, “She’s really amazing. She never seems to feel guilty when facing anything.”

Zheng Zaochuan got off work early today, and four dishes and a soup were already prepared. Hearing this, he seemed to empathize with her, saying, “I’ve already suffered all the scorn since I was a child. For children from poor families, self-esteem is not worth mentioning. Only children like you who grew up in happiness can think about meaning. Throughout our entire growing-up process, we can only think about living.”

Seeing his earnestness, Xin Xin retorted, “Don’t talk like you understand it so well, okay?”

“I understand. I was even poorer than her when I was at my poorest. At least she just couldn’t go to high school, while I almost couldn’t even finish nine years of compulsory education.”

Xin Xin had been laughing and talking about other people’s affairs, casually eating sweet and sour pork ribs, but now she was suddenly stunned. This was the first time Zheng Zaochuan had mentioned his past to her. She had always thought that someone like Zheng Zaochuan must have a very powerful family background to have developed such a fearless personality.

Zheng Zaochuan seemed oblivious to Xin Xin’s emotions. “Do you remember when we went to eat noodles?”

Xin Xin nodded obediently. The owner of that ordinary noodle shop seemed to be very familiar with Zheng Zaochuan.

“There was a time when I didn’t have anything to eat, so I went to Uncle Huang’s noodle shop and picked up the leftover noodles that other people hadn’t finished eating. Later, Uncle Huang found out and would wait for me every day and make me a bowl of noodles. I survived the whole junior high school with that bowl of noodles. And back then, Uncle Huang would also secretly slip me money. When I had money, the first thing I did was to invest in Uncle Huang and renovate the shop.”

Xin Xin inwardly groaned. Hearing Fu Meng pour out her heart today had already made her sad enough, and she really didn’t know how to comfort her.

Now, after hearing Zheng Zaochuan’s story, she suppressed the urge to ask more questions. She felt she should say something but didn’t know how, so she could only quietly lower her head and eat.

But before she could even pick up her chopsticks, large tears suddenly fell down her cheeks.

Zheng Zaochuan saw her tears on the table, and when he looked up, he met Xin Xin’s eyes, which were already red. He hurriedly and frantically searched for tissues. “Oh dear, why are you crying?”