Chapter 409 Zhou Lu, came here specifically to congratulate me?
Changing the subject, Mr. Hou returned to the previous topic with a mischievous smile, "But I'm curious, when do you plan to tell Cui Xiao about this? You can't stay an 'unsung hero' forever, can you?"
A gentle smile subtly curved Zhou Mubin's lips. His voice was as soft as a whisper, yet it carried a hint of seriousness. "There's no need, is there?"
For him, as long as Cui Xiao gets what she wants, it doesn't matter whether his efforts are known or not.
Besides, this is something he owes her.
Blues music filled the air, and the aroma of rich liquor filled the air.
Seeing the undisguised affection in Zhou Mubin's eyes, President Hou already understood most of the situation.
Then, glasses clinked together, the crisp sound echoing in the quiet bar for a long time.
Zhou Mubin tilted his head back and took a sip of wine, his longing rippling gently in the night.
A day later, a pinned notification on the Yadong Group's intranet caused a small stir throughout the office area.
"Given the special circumstances of the previous round of vice president elections, the board of directors has decided to invalidate the original election results and launch a new round of vice president selections."
Upon seeing the message, Cui Xiao's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped her phone. The notification on the screen appeared word by word, and after the initial surprise, a long-suppressed joy surged up her spine, making her steps lighter.
She immediately compiled her eleven years of work experience, as well as the projects she had undertaken since joining the East Asia Group, into a thick document.
In her office late at night, the lights were always on, and her computer screen was covered with densely packed PowerPoint slides, which were her campaign speeches that she had meticulously crafted.
On election day, Cui Xiao overcame all obstacles, from the written review in the primary election, the defense in the re-election, to the public speech in the final election.
On the day of the final election, she wore a well-fitting beige suit and stood on the stage in the lecture hall, explaining her plans for the work of the vice president. President Hou and several directors in the audience nodded frequently.
When the name "Cui Xiao" was announced, her slight bow revealed her barely concealed excitement.
On the afternoon of the day the appointment notice was issued, Cui Xiao booked a private room at the most famous luxury restaurant in the city center, inviting not only all her colleagues in the department, but also sending invitations to the group's senior management.
As evening fell, the restaurant's crystal chandeliers shone brilliantly, and the private rooms were filled with clinking glasses and the sounds of blessings.
Wearing a champagne-colored dress, Cui Xiao went from table to table thanking everyone, her face beaming with an undisguised smile.
Just then, a familiar voice came, "Secretary Cui, no, now I should call you Vice President Cui, congratulations."
Cui Xiao turned her head and saw Lin, the strongest candidate for vice president, walking over with a wine glass in hand, a genuine smile on his face. "Your speech this time was excellent, especially your planning for the market sector. I'm impressed."
Cui Xiao quickly raised her glass in response. "President Lin, you're too kind. I actually learned a lot from your ideas on cost analysis last time."
She remained somewhat curious: in the previous election, Lin had a commanding lead in votes, making the vice president position a sure thing for him. Why would he agree to run for re-election?
Pressure from the group?
That shouldn't be the case. President Hou is definitely the kind of person who can see things clearly and wouldn't deliberately favor anyone.
Now, emboldened by the alcohol, Cui Xiao casually asked, "Speaking of which, I was quite surprised by this re-selection. I didn't expect the board of directors to make this decision."
Mr. Lin was somewhat surprised, "You didn't know?"
Cui Xiao was confused. "What should I know?"
Upon hearing this, President Lin smiled, took a sip of his drink, and then lowered his voice to say to Cui Xiao, "You really have to thank Attorney Zhou for this."
Cui Xiao looked puzzled, and continued to explain, "After the results of the last round came out, Lawyer Zhou talked to me. He didn't talk about many grand principles, but just showed me the efforts you made in your previous projects and your project results report. To be honest, I was very impressed. If it were me, I definitely couldn't be as good as you. I can't do something that is not honorable, so when he explained his intentions, I agreed."
Cui Xiao paused, her hand swirling the wine glass slightly, the liquid tracing a shallow arc on the glass's surface.
“It wasn’t just me,” Mr. Lin added. “He also talked to several other candidates from the previous round, one by one. They all felt that you really deserved a fair platform to compete. Later, when the board of directors consulted us, we all expressed our support for a re-selection.”
I see.
It turned out that Zhou Mubin had helped her behind the scenes.
For Cui Xiao, it had been a long time since she had been this happy.
After everyone left, Cui Xiao stood there and swayed a few steps in her high heels.
The evening breeze made her feel even more intoxicated. Cui Xiao shook her head, then suddenly looked up and met the man's burning gaze.
The moment their eyes met was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating subtle ripples in their eyes.
Zhou Mubin was clearly not expected that she would suddenly look at him. His Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily, and panic visibly appeared in his eyes.
He put his hands in his pockets, unsure whether to get in the car and leave or go up and congratulate him.
Cui Xiao's gaze fell on his tense expression, and fragmented memories suddenly flooded her mind.
In fact, Zhou Mubin had been good to her.
When he went on business trips, he would almost always bring her a small gift, and he would also have someone buy medicine for her when she was sick...
These fragmented memories gradually seeped into my heart, warming my chest.
Cui Xiao walked step by step toward Zhou Mubin's location.
She walked slowly, and when she reached his side, she asked, "Zhou Lu, did you come here specifically to congratulate me?"
Her voice was lower than usual, tinged with a faint scent of alcohol and a hint of barely perceptible drunkenness, "Since you're all here, why aren't you going in?"
Zhou Mubin's body stiffened abruptly, as if burned by those words. "You probably don't want to see me, do you?"
As soon as she finished speaking, Cui Xiao blurted out, "President Lin already told me, thank you."
As clever as he was, Zhou Mubin immediately understood what Cui Xiao meant.
Zhou Mubin was on edge; he rarely felt this nervous. "There's nothing to thank me for. I just feel that your abilities shouldn't be overlooked; you deserve a fair chance to compete."
As he spoke, his gaze unconsciously drifted elsewhere, avoiding eye contact with Cui Xiao. "Besides, this is a chance I owe you, not one you owe me."
Cui Xiao laughed out loud, her eyes sparkling with tiny lights, like a sky full of stars.
She leaned forward, her voice softening slightly, with a hint of slyness, "It was my choice, and I will take responsibility for it. So, since you helped me, I owe you a favor, that's a fact."
She paused, her gaze becoming exceptionally serious. "Tell me, what do you want from me? Except for one thing."
As she spoke, Cui Xiao raised her hand to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
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