Chapter 69 Manager Nie, there's a detail that concerns you...
Lu Chenguang and Nie Qingqing had arranged a time and place for dinner on the weekend. When he got back, he told his lover about the guest who had joined them at the last minute.
"If my uncle's protégé, Designer Han, really had a relationship with Manager Nie twenty years ago, then our Chenguang and Yuanda have been cooperating for more than half a year. Why didn't you mention it before, and why did you take the initiative to ask to have dinner together now?"
Zeng Lan knew a little about the situation: "Han Jiping's wife is sick. I heard that a woman named Mrs. Xu in Hong Kong approached him and said she could help him get an appointment with the attending physician at a private hospital there. Private hospitals in Hong Kong are very expensive, and Han Jiping can't afford them. Maybe there's some kind of deal involved?"
Lu Chenguang didn't understand: "Then what does this have to do with Manager Nie?"
Zeng Lan was unsure: "I'm just as curious. Won't we find out after Han Jiping meets Manager Nie?"
This was an unethical move, and Lu Chenguang couldn't directly criticize his wife. Instead, he said, "Yuanda and Chenguang are still cooperating. If things get unpleasant, it might be detrimental to the cooperation."
Zeng Lan saw through it all: "Since he said he knew him before, even without our help, Designer Han still has a way to see Manager Nie. Since the matter is still unresolved, we might as well get to the bottom of it. Manager Nie shouldn't blame us for taking matters into our own hands. Besides, I've already made amends."
Lu Chenguang asked with a smile, "Knowing you don't like owing favors, how did you make up for it?"
Zeng Lan said, "Miss Lian, whom I like, opened a jewelry brand store. Manager Nie's stepdaughter is named Song Xiaoyin, who works part-time as a designer for her brand. Since we have this connection, let's invite both Miss Lian and Song Xiaoyin."
Lu Chenguang was even more confused: "What good would it do her to have a meal with our family?"
Even though Zeng Lan was keeping a low profile at the moment, she still unconsciously adopted a superior attitude.
She smiled confidently: "Song Xiaoyin was caused trouble by a family surnamed Xue. If that Xue family knew that Song Xiaoyin was an honored guest of our family, they would probably be wary. Once this favor is repaid, the matter of us inviting Han Jiping can be wiped away."
...
There's a special guest at tonight's dinner party. Nie Qingqing guessed it was Lian Hongrui, Lu Chenguang's brother-in-law from the time at Le Han's hotel. She was clearly pursuing Miss Lian, so it's highly likely she's invited to dinner.
She guessed correctly, but not entirely. Besides Miss Lian, Xiaoyin had also come, and that special guest was delayed and hadn't arrived yet.
Lu Chenguang went to pick up his wife and that special guest, and Xiaoyin quickly explained to her:
“Mom, Sister Hongrui said that there is always someone better. Our family was once considered more powerful than the Xue family. When they invited me, the Xue family became wary. Is this because they owe you a favor? I didn’t want to come, but Sister Hongrui said that they might have already accepted the favor, so it would be a waste not to come.”
Nie Qingqing thought for a moment and realized that it might be related to the special guest today. Lu Chenguang and his wife felt that bringing a guest would cause her trouble, so they wanted to return the favor and save Xiaoyin some trouble.
That's fine too. This deal is a win-win situation. So, whoever the guests are later, she'll give them a smile and show respect to the Zeng family.
Even Miss Lian should be thanked; it would have been so awkward for Xiaoyin to come without her company.
Lian Hongrui refused to accept her thanks: "Manager Nie, you don't need to thank me for helping me. I'm just returning the favor, so you don't need to thank me."
...
The first time Nie Qingqing met Lu Chenguang's lover and the guests they brought was with him; they were architectural designers who had collaborated with Chenguang.
Zeng Lan introduced, "Designer Han is my uncle's last apprentice. He is now the chief engineer of the design institute. He designed Chenguang's first project. He also provided guidance for this project between Yuanda and Chenguang. However, he was not the one who came to the project meeting. Engineer Han told me the other day that he actually knows Manager Nie and was afraid that I would not remember. I said that it doesn't matter if you don't remember. Once you meet, you will remember naturally."
When Nie Qingqing saw the person, she immediately remembered him—it was Han Jiping!
The year the college entrance examination was reinstated, the newly reopened high school was packed with students of all ages who wanted to change their fate through the exam.
In the classroom where Tangyuan's father was, there was a young man with a very low profile named Han Jiping. At that time, his family was not well-off, and some of the food she brought to Tangyuan's father was shared with him.
Nie Qingqing had mentioned Tangyuan's father back then, saying that food was precious and that it was already saved by the family, so it shouldn't be shared with others. It was from that time that she heard Han Jiping's name from Tangyuan's father, and now she remembered it.
Unexpectedly, Han Jiping lived up to expectations, got into university, studied architectural design, and after so many years, became the chief engineer. That's truly remarkable.
She quickly said, "I remember, when I delivered food to my ex-husband, he shared some with you. You still remember that small favor?"
He did remember, but this time he came not because of the kindness of the meal. Moreover, he had the opportunity to repay it before, but he didn't. After learning from Tangyuan's father that they were divorced, he did nothing.
Realizing his own thoughts, Han Jiping felt even more guilty and changed the subject: "You haven't changed much since twenty years ago, but I'm completely different. Thank you for still recognizing me."
Nie Qingqing smiled and said, "I have a good memory. I may forget for a moment, but I will definitely remember when I see it."
She remembered, but they had only met a few times, and that was twenty years ago. The only person they knew was Tangyuan's father, but she was divorced, so they really had nothing to talk about.
Fortunately, Nie Qingqing was a natural conversationalist and never had a dull moment with strangers, let alone people she had met before. She took the lead and chatted idly all night, making the meal quite enjoyable.
...
Despite all that talking, she still couldn't figure out what Han Jiping was after, who owed the Zeng family a favor and came to this meal to get to know them again.
Back at the hotel, she called Song Zhao and told him about Han Jiping: "He works for a state-owned design institute and has no shortage of work. Is he trying to take on private projects from Yuanda? But Yuanda only hires design institutes for business-to-business projects. I really don't understand."
Song Zhao became wary: "If you can't figure it out, don't think about it. Get a good night's sleep, finish dealing with things in Shanghai, and come back as soon as possible to put your mind at ease."
Nie Qingqing agreed, hung up the phone, and went to take a shower and go to bed.
Song Zhao couldn't sleep, so he called Tang Yuan's dormitory and told him Han Jiping's name, asking him to ask his biological father.
Tangyuan, being the person he is, couldn't wait until the next day and immediately called his father. His father remembered Han Jiping; before he went into business, they used to contact each other several times a year.
His father spoke with admiration: "He's better than your father. He's so good to his wife. It's a pity, though. His wife's health isn't good; she's always sickly. He's never abandoned her and is saving money to send her to another hospital for treatment. He probably contacted your mother because he wants to take on more freelance work and earn more money."
...
If you want to take on freelance work, isn't there Chenguang? And why did you wait until now without contacting me before?
Tangyuan then told her parents about this, warning them to be careful.
Nie Qingqing felt that there was no major problem. Judging from their interaction at dinner last night, Han Jiping was not good at pretending. It seemed that he was unable to act more familiarly because of his guilt. A person like him could not even get close to others. What kind of harmful methods could he come up with?
She didn't take it to heart, and after taking care of the remaining matters in two or three days, she bought a ticket to go home.
She never rushed to catch her train, so she had plenty of time. She regretted being born at this age, as she got hungry quickly. She was about to buy something to take on the train when she noticed someone watching her.
After all, she was carrying Hensheng, and she was afraid that Xu Jianchun had arranged for someone to come and harm Hensheng. She was extra careful, but when she saw the person's face clearly, she felt that he was not one of Xu Jianchun's people.
The other person was a woman, quite pretty, but too thin, with a pale complexion and even her lips were bloodless, indicating poor blood circulation; she was probably sick.
Nie Qingqing thought for a moment, but she didn't recognize her. She didn't even have a memory of bumping into her.
If they really had something to do, they would probably come over and strike up a conversation, right? She didn't want to cause any trouble and decided to catch her train as scheduled.
...
Perhaps it was destined that the two of them would cross paths.
Nie Qingqing usually avoids trouble, but when she saw an old woman whose behavior was suspicious, like a human trafficker, chatting with the weak woman and the two walking away, she couldn't help but write a note telling Hensheng to find the police at the station.
Logically speaking, she can say she has a clear conscience after doing all this, but she still feels she has to get to the bottom of this and find out who that woman is. Otherwise, she'll still be thinking about it all the time when she gets back.
Nie Qingqing made a quick decision, changed her ticket, and followed them out.
The police acted quickly, questioning the old woman and noticing something amiss. Suddenly, the old woman's son jumped out and assaulted a police officer. Both were arrested and taken to the police station for questioning. It turned out he was indeed a human trafficker, confessing that he had been eyeing the woman's gold ring and necklace and had been plotting to steal her money. He was truly despicable.
...
The woman's name was Zhang Yunxiu. Nie Qingqing saved her with a note she gave to the police at the station, and they chatted honestly for a while.
Zhang Yunxiu is Han Jiping's lover. The couple has a very good relationship. She has a hereditary disease that makes it difficult for her to live and she cannot have children. However, Han Jiping not only doesn't say anything, but also comforts her from time to time, saying that as long as the two of them are together, they are already very happy.
Such affectionate men are rare, and it is precisely because they are rare that their relationship is all the more precious.
Nie Qingqing was confused: "So, he took the initiative to use my connections to get you treated outside the hospital?"
Zhang Yunxiu shook her head: "Neither of us likes to trouble others, and we have no relationship with you, so how could we ask you for help? Someone contacted him and asked him to create some trouble for you, to remove you from your position as general manager of Yuanda, in exchange for an opportunity for me to go to Hong Kong for medical treatment. I told him that we would not do such a thing against our conscience, and that using money that harms others would not cure my illness. He said he would not harm anyone, but just wanted to see if you had done anything wrong at Yuanda. If you had, then it was fate."
Nie Qingqing had a vague idea and asked, "Is the person who contacted him named Xu Jianchun?"
Zhang Yunxiu asked in surprise, "How did you guess?"
Nie Qingqing said, "In Hong Kong, I've only offended one or two people. It's not hard to guess that Han Jiping is coming to pick you up soon, right? I'll be going now."
Zhang Yunxiu apologized repeatedly: "I'm sorry, we promise we won't cause you any more trouble in the future. I came to the station this time because I couldn't convince him, so I thought I'd tell you not to associate with him. It's all my fault for being too hesitant and not speaking up, and I even got involved with a human trafficker."
The woman felt very guilty; her heart was burdened with worries, and her health suffered as a result.
Nie Qingqing sighed: "Given your lover's personality, even if he finds something on me, he'll hesitate to use it. Don't overthink it, go back and get some rest."
...
She changed her train ticket and returned to Lehan's hotel with Hensheng in her arms. She called Lawyer He and told him about Xu Jianchun's actions.
"Xu Jianchun is quite shrewd. She found out that Han Jiping and I have some work-related connections, and I can't refuse her offer to exchange us. I'm a little confused. Does it matter to Xu Jianchun whether I become the general manager of Yuanda or not?"
This time, He Shunyi was really angry. Xu Jianchun actually dared to mess with Qingqing, so if he did, he would dare to mess with her and her children next. She couldn't tolerate it anymore.
He Shunyi said, "Xu Jianchun is very vengeful, otherwise he wouldn't have been so vicious towards Hen Sheng, who knew nothing about it. Qingqing, this isn't just your problem. The cause is still on our side. Han Jiping just wanted to bring his lover to Hong Kong for medical treatment, right? If Xu Jianchun can do it, so can we. Give me Han Jiping's contact information, and I'll have someone contact him. You can focus on your work."
...
Nie Qingqing was actually very happy with Attorney He's arrangement.
Having helped Han Jiping, she felt indebted to Attorney He and Mr. Zhong, so she didn't meddle further and didn't contact Han Jiping and Zhang Yunxiu again.
She had to call Song Zhao because her train ticket had been changed, otherwise he would be worried sick. She explained the reason for the change and even made some speculations.
"Xu Jianchun wants Han Jiping to find mistakes in my work. I think it's not that simple. He might be implying that if he can't find any mistakes, he should at least make one. If Yuanda hires him for a design, he might leave some traps in the design. These kinds of things are hard to guard against. Fortunately, Han Jiping has professional ethics and is only thinking about finding my existing mistakes. Judging from his hesitant appearance, I guess this little thing is a huge challenge for him and he can't do it."
That won't do either. Song Zhao was furious with Han Jiping and had no good feelings towards him at all. He even said, "Look at how many regrets they have. There's a reason for it. No matter how much he struggles and hesitates, we should never associate with this kind of person again."
Nie Qingqing quickly said, "Don't be angry, don't be angry. We weren't close to begin with, and we won't be in contact with each other in the future. I was just expressing my feelings."
Song Zhao calmed down. Qingqing was just seeking validation. What was he complaining about? She had to coax him.
He quickly asked, "You changed your ticket to the same flight at the same time, right? I'll pick you up later."
...
After finishing the call, Nie Qingqing felt a mix of emotions and a growing dislike for Xu Jianchun. She thought it would be good to have Attorney He teach her a lesson.
Hensheng couldn't understand what was going on, so he wrote on a piece of paper, asking her, "Aunt Qing, he's trying to harm you, aren't you angry?"
Nie Qingqing taught him: "The person who really wants to harm me is Xu Jianchun. It's a complicated business relationship. I can figure out the root of the problem. Lawyer He helped Han Jiping to teach her sister-in-law a lesson, to let her know that the person she can bribe can also be bribed by others. It's okay if you don't understand, you can learn slowly."
Hensheng nodded emphatically, indicating that he understood and thought things through; he was a very clever child.
...
Back in Shenzhen, Song Zhao and Fang Yan were there to pick him up from the station.
As soon as she saw her come out, Fangyan said, "Manager Nie, there's a big matter at the company that you need to go back and handle."
Song Zhao said helplessly, "I asked her what important thing was, but she wouldn't tell me. No matter how important it is, it will make you rest for half a day."
Nie Qingqing has a lot of energy. Now when she travels for business, she always sleeps in a soft sleeper car, which is in a good environment and she gets a good rest.
She said to Song Zhao, "You go back with Hensheng first. It's been about twenty days. His family must be short of rice and firewood. Being short of things is a minor matter. We can't let the Feng family see that he went back alone. You have to go with them and give them a warning. I'll go to the company to take a look."
That was the only option. Song Zhao drove away with Hensheng, while Nie Qingqing rode in Fangyan's company car back to Yuanda.
...
The big news Fangyan told her was that Luo Xiangqin, the deputy general manager of Yuanda, seemed to be planning to switch jobs.
This is indeed a big deal. Luo Xiangqin is Mr. Zhong's assistant. Lawyer He went back to Hong Kong with Mr. Zhong to work hard. The general manager of Yuanda was appointed as Nie Qingqing, and the deputy general manager was Mr. Zhong's assistant, Luo Xiangqin.
Luo Xiangqin's ambitious plans were radical, which were the opposite of Nie Qingqing's conservative ideas. She opposed cooperating with Chenguang and even proposed a development plan with the goal of achieving 100% growth every year.
After analyzing the situation, Nie Qingqing concluded that Luo Xiangqin's aggressive plan would burden the company with a lot of bank debt, so she did not adopt it and instead followed her own set growth target of 30% per year.
Did Luo Xiangqin want to switch jobs because of differences between Yuan Da's development plans and her own ideas?
...
When Nie Qingqing arrived at Yuanda, several groups of people came to her to report and sign documents. She handled them for an hour or so, but Deputy Manager Luo showed no intention of coming to see her.
She then asked Fangyan to invite Luo Xiangqin to her office, close the door, and have a frank and open conversation with her.
"Manager Luo, I heard that during my absence, people from Shihua have been in frequent contact with you. Can we have a frank talk?"
There are many people in the company who admire Nie Qingqing, so it's impossible to hide it. Since she didn't refuse to contact Shihua, Luo Xiangqin never thought of hiding it. Besides, she had already talked to Shihua enough, so since he asked, she might as well explain it clearly.
Luo Xiangqin frankly stated: "Shihua has developed rapidly in recent years and urgently needs talent. The management team of Yuanda is particularly valued by them and they really want me to go there."
Nie Qingqing herself has been poached several times, so it's perfectly normal for Deputy Manager Luo to be poached as well.
She tried to persuade them to stay: "Then their offer is better than Yuanda's, right? If it's just a matter of compensation, I can help talk to Attorney He and Mr. Zhong."
Luo Xiangqin shook her head: "It's not just about salary, there's also the issue of development. With you at Yuanda, I'll always be a vice president. Besides, our philosophies are too different. You're conservative, I'm radical, we can't work together for long."
Nie Qingqing admitted, "Attorney He once said that it would be good if our personalities could be combined. Manager Luo, I have always admired you. You are better than me in many ways. I can listen to advice. Are you really not going to reconsider?"
Luo Xiangqin said decisively, "Manager Nie, you don't need to be so modest. You have many excellent abilities that you are born with. For example, your ability to coordinate and unite people is something I can't compare to. There's no need to persuade me anymore. I've already decided to go to Shihua Real Estate. Their development direction is very much in line with my philosophy. Only by going there can I realize my ambitions. As for leaving the company, I will discuss it with Attorney He myself."
Luo Xiangqin is a very decisive and talented person. Otherwise, given her straightforward temperament, Mr. Zhong would not have been able to keep her on his laurels and even promote her to the position of vice president of Yuanda before he left.
Having said all that, Nie Qingqing knew that persuasion was useless, so she asked, "So how long do you plan to work? I'll arrange for someone to take over your job."
As she was leaving, Luo Xiangqin said sadly, "I was able to join Yuanda when I was going through the most difficult time. It was thanks to your help that I was able to stay. Mr. Zhong and Yuanda have been kind to me. I will make sure things are settled before I leave. I will wait until all five plots of land in Yuanda have been launched and the handover is complete before I leave."
Nie Qingqing nodded: "Then I wish you new developments in your new place."
...
As she was leaving, Luo Xiangqin asked Nie Qingqing a question: "Sometimes I think, if Mr. Zhong's opinion had prevailed back then, and I had become the general manager of Yuanda, you probably wouldn't have had any objections, and we could still work together. I never expected that in such an important personnel appointment, Mr. Zhong would listen to Attorney He. This is a company, you know. How come he acts like he's at home, always listening to his wife?"
This is not hard to understand, because Attorney He's decision is more beneficial to Yuanda than Mr. Zhong's decision.
Mr. Zhong has one advantage: he listens to what is right.
He knew his own limitations in business, so when he was looking for a wife, he chose a capable one so that the two of them could compete with his elder brother and sister-in-law.
Nie Qingqing said, "Attorney He's judgment has always been better than Mr. Zhong's; otherwise, he wouldn't listen to his wife's opinions in everything."
Luo Xiangqin understood what Manager Nie meant: Lawyer He was selected based on ability, not personal connections, and she did not agree with that.
She smiled and said, "The future development scale of Shih-Hua and Yuan-Da will prove whether Attorney Ho's choice was right or wrong."
...
Luo Xiangqin resigned directly by phone with Attorney He.
After a few words of persuasion from Attorney He, he did not insist, only saying that he needed to discuss it with Mr. Zhong.
When Mr. Zhong heard this, he was nonchalant: "Why did I call you instead of mentioning it to me? Do you think that just because you've been my assistant for a few years, you can be compared to my wife in my eyes? Since you don't approve of my wife's decision, then let her go to Shihua."
Hearing this was comforting, Attorney He asked, "Honestly, have you ever regretted it? If you had insisted on making Luo Xiangqin the general manager, given her personality, you could have at least guaranteed Yuanda's 100% growth rate."
Mr. Zhong hugged his wife and said ingratiatingly, "I've never regretted it. Don't you know how capable I am in business? It was you who said Luo Xiangqin was talented and insisted on keeping me as your assistant. Otherwise, given my personality, I would have replaced her long ago. You think highly of Manager Nie because you're considering the long-term development of the company, not because of personal favors. Luo Xiangqin may not understand, but I know it perfectly well."
Attorney He was satisfied. It was these little things that made her happy with this marriage, which both parties had ulterior motives for. As time went on, they actually developed genuine feelings for each other.
She gave him a reward, then asked, "By the way, has everything been arranged for Zhang Yunxiu's hospitalization?"
Mr. Zhong immediately boasted, "The attending physician has been contacted. Once we arrive in Hong Kong, we can be admitted for consultation immediately. Honey, I'm pretty useful, aren't I?"
Attorney He deliberately said, "You used to have some opinions of your own, how come you have to ask me about every little thing now?"
Mr. Zhong didn't feel ashamed: "Listening to your wife will make you rich. Oh, by the way, I can't have dinner with you tonight."
"What are you going to do?" Attorney He rarely asked.
Mr. Zhong was especially happy: "Honey, you're even concerned about where I'm going tonight?"
Attorney He smiled and said, "Yes, I care a lot. If you don't tell me, I'll lose my patience."
Mr. Zhong didn't dare keep them in suspense and quickly said, "I went to see my sister-in-law and congratulated her on becoming a stepmother again. Isn't that strange? The nanny who took care of my brother's pregnant mistress disappeared, and then that woman had a premature and difficult labor. Is it possible that Xu Jianchun used a scheme within a scheme, which my brother saw through?"
Attorney He said, "No matter what tricks they use, it's their private feud, and we shouldn't get involved."
Mr. Zhong said, "I know. I just went to congratulate my sister-in-law on having another child who is not related to her by blood. I also told her that Han Jiping is bringing his wife here for medical treatment. What she can do, we can do too. I told her to be careful."
...
From April to August, the sales performance of the other four newly developed properties exceeded expectations, and the project team, from top to bottom, was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.
Luo Xiangqin officially resigned, and Nie Qingqing held a farewell party for her according to normal procedures, so that they could part on good terms.
Before August was even over, Han Jiping returned from Hong Kong with his lover Zhang Yunxiu. Upon landing in Shenzhen, they went to see Nie Qingqing.
After several months of treatment, Zhang Yunxiu's condition improved, and her complexion became rosy. As for where the money for the medical treatment came from and how she would repay it in the future, Nie Qingqing did not ask.
Han Jiping thanked Nie Qingqing, saying he would remember the favor he owed her.
Nie Qingqing quickly said, "I didn't do anything. If you want to thank someone, you should thank Attorney He."
Zhang Yunxiu said, "Lawyer He should thank you, and you should thank him too. During this medical treatment in Hong Kong, Jiping talked about the year the college entrance examination was reinstated. He and so many other students were crammed into the high school. They talked about many things, and there was a detail that involved you. I sensed something was off. Jiping said you're doing very well now and shouldn't cause any trouble. But I think everything in this world is preordained, and there's a plan in the dark. Since I noticed it, how could I not tell you? I had to tell you."
Is it related to her? When the college entrance examination was first reinstated, Nie Qingqing was very self-aware about her studies and never even considered taking it. There was no way anyone could have sabotaged her college entrance examination. So what could it be?
She nodded quickly: "Thank you for your insistence. I definitely want to know about things that concern me. Please tell me."
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