Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Cold War? Raging War!
During the evening rush hour, cars can only temporarily stop at congested intersections. Drivers observe the road conditions and tap the steering wheel with their fingers to pass the time.
Song Yazhi pressed the throbbing solar plexus a few times, and her eyes fell on Lin Mo's profile. Seeing the outline that was similar to her own, her heart softened a little.
"Lin Mo, have you been able to adapt to the work pace of the President's Office during this period of time?"
Lin Mo's gaze paused, then shifted direction. She answered calmly, "I can adapt. Thank you for your concern, President."
He didn't talk much, but he was quite sincere. Song Yazhi thought that this was indeed the style of the Song family.
In fact, Lin Mo was reserved in her words. She had some questions in her mind, such as why she was suddenly transferred, and why she was only brought to the social event when there were obviously so many employees who were more experienced than her.
She thought a lot in her mind, but still didn't ask. She just sat quietly, her eyes fixed on the necklace around her neck, and thought about what happened today.
She hadn't expected her first assignment after being transferred to the CEO's office would be to choose a necklace for the young lady. She did as she was told, selecting the style and length, and then confirming it with Song Yazhi again. But at the last minute, Song Yazhi actually paid for two necklaces, gave the extra one to her, and even helped her put it on herself.
Lin Mo didn't dare to accept it and was about to refuse. Song Yazhi held her shoulders, and there was a bit of tenderness in her usually cold eyes.
"It suits you very well. Please accept it. Thank you for helping me choose a gift."
The memories were interrupted, and Song Yazhi's words came from the back seat.
"Zhihan really likes the necklace you picked. You two have similar tastes. We should get to know each other if we have the chance."
Thinking of the girl looking at her with horror, Lin Mo was stunned and said okay.
She had heard of Song Zhihan's name in the president's office. It was said that she was Song Yazhi's only daughter and was very beautiful. Compared with President Song's coldness, the eldest daughter was the epitome of brightness.
Meeting at the stairs today confirmed the rumors. She was indeed a striking figure, with bright eyes and white teeth, making her very impressive. Especially when she was frightened, she looked a lot like the stuffed doll with the airplane ears downstairs in her house.
Kind of cute.
But Lin Mo couldn't figure out why she was looking at her with such horror.
The car slowly stopped at a low-key club. Lin Mo followed Song Yazhi's steps and saw several strangers in the private room. They must be clients of the group. This was her first time encountering such a situation, and she was a little overwhelmed. But when she glanced at Song Yazhi's profile, she felt inexplicably relieved.
After taking her seat, she found herself next to a middle-aged man whose features bore a resemblance to Song Yazhi. Lin Mo suspected he was also a prominent figure in this vast family business. Compliments from the other people at the table confirmed her suspicions: he was Song Fanggang, Song Yazhi's twin brother.
Lin Mo thought about how important this dinner must be, as she carefully observed the situation. However, the dinner didn't go as she imagined. It was more like a gathering of friends, chatting about life and family matters than a business meeting.
Lin Mo's confusion grew. While distracted, she accidentally bumped into the waiter's teapot, a burning sensation surging. She instinctively dodged, knocking the teapot over, sending scalding hot tea cascading down her arm. Suddenly, the person next to her blocked the way. Tea dripped down his steaming shirt and onto Lin Mo's pants, leaving a bean-sized stain.
She hurriedly wiped it with a towel, looking flustered: "I'm sorry, I didn't see the kettle. Mr. Song, are you hurt?"
She didn't expect the kettle to tip over, and she didn't expect Song Fanggang to come and block it.
The sudden incident caught everyone's attention, and the manager offered towels and ice, as well as a sincere apology.
Song Fanggang thought it was insignificant and smiled tolerantly: "It's okay, I'll go take care of it, you guys talk first."
He even remembered to comfort Lin Mo: "Don't worry, the water only looks hot."
Even so, Lin Mo still felt bad.
"Lin Mo, please accompany Mr. Song to deal with it."
It was Song Yazhi. Lin Mo was stunned, then agreed. She would not disobey her boss's orders.
Song Fanggang kept washing the burned and red areas with running water. Lin Mo waited silently beside him with a towel, as quiet as a sculpture placed in the corridor.
Seeing that he turned off the faucet, Lin Mo promptly handed him a towel and wrapped it around his forearm.
Song Fanggang was wiping it when he saw her lowered head and couldn't help but start a conversation.
"Your name is Lin Mo?"
Lin Mo nodded and answered briefly: "Yes."
"Which Mo?"
"Shuangmulin, Jasmine's Mo."
Song Fanggang nodded, thoughtfully.
"How old are you this year? Do you have any relatives at home?"
Lin Mo felt strange about why he asked these questions. When she saw his inquiring and even eager eyes, she had a bad suspicion in her heart.
She felt it was strange that Song Yazhi asked her to come to this dinner, and Song Fanggang's words and deeds were even weirder now. No matter what, there was no need for him to say so much to a small secretary like her.
Her face turned cold, and any gratitude she had for him was gone as Lin Mo suppressed her emotions and answered.
"25, I have a mother and a brother at home."
Regardless of her purpose, at least she couldn't turn against Song Fanggang right now, but she was thinking about whether to inform her brother, just in case...
Let’s go back to the box first. There are so many people here. Even if Song Fanggang wants to do something, he has to consider Song Yazhi’s face.
After returning to her seat, she quietly moved away from Song Fanggang.
Perhaps because he noticed the coldness on her face, Song Fanggang didn't speak to her again until the end. He only reminded her to be careful on the road before leaving.
On the way back, they still took Song Yazhi's car. Lin Mo had endured it all the way, but finally she gave up when she got off the car. Her tone was serious and earnest.
"Mr. Song, I'm very grateful for your favor. I will do my best to complete my duties, but I will not accept or tolerate anything beyond the scope of my duties. I speak bluntly, so please forgive me."
After saying the last sentence, Lin Mo was even prepared to be fired on the spot. She knew how much power Song Yazhi had in the company, and her provocative words were like pulling teeth from a tiger's mouth.
Song Yazhi was stunned for a moment, but quickly figured out what she meant. She felt helpless and relieved at the same time. She slowed down her tone, as if to appease her.
"I think you've misunderstood something. Lin Mo, you can ask Mia or anyone in the President's Office. In the decades that I've been in charge of Shanmei, there haven't been any cases of hidden rules or sexual harassment in our company. Mr. Song has a daughter who's the same age as you. In his eyes, you're probably like my niece."
Lin Mo blushed uncontrollably. She had actually... misunderstood something like this! Embarrassment and awkwardness spread across her face. She realized what was happening and admitted her mistake: "I'm sorry, Mr. Song. I misunderstood."
Song Yazhi smiled instead: "It's okay. It's good for girls to be more cautious when they go out. If you really encounter the same misunderstanding you had tonight in the future at work, remember to leave evidence and tell me in time. Our company's legal department is not here to eat for free."
She was wearing a neatly cut yet elegant dress, and her whole body was full of rationality and wisdom. Lin Mo was stunned. She finally understood why the sisters in the president's office were proud of President Song's work.
The autumn wind was chilly, and Song Yazhi raised her chin slightly: "It's windy, let's go back."
Lin Mo watched her walk away, the wind rippling in her heart, and she began to look forward to tomorrow's work.
......
"Are you sure the address is correct?"
Song Zhihan stood beside a trash can emitting a sour stench, looking out at the narrow, crowded alley before him. The old walls were brick-red, and the windows were covered in rusty iron sashes. Indigenous residents, dressed in slippers and pajamas, sat in groups of three or five. Men played chess and boasted, while women picked vegetables and crocheted. Dirty children ran around, shouting and chasing each other, their parents' laughter and scolding mingled with theirs. A half-hung cat lay on the ground, licking its fur.
She took a few steps forward and stepped on something soft. She looked down and wished she could die on the spot. It was a wrinkled, stinky tomato. Okay, that's fine. The shoes died before the mission was accomplished.
The person on the other end of the phone made a promise while chewing gum.
"You're still not confident in my ability to do things? There's only one small restaurant in that area. What's that thing under its nose? Go ask someone."
After being scolded, Song Zhihan hung up the phone in annoyance. Well, he shouldn't have asked Qu Yixing for help. Asking him to do things would make him angry to death.
Restoring her relationship with Song Yazhi was probably a dead end, so Song Zhihan decided to change her strategy and find out what was going on with her other mother. Qu Yixing was her childhood friend, a renowned socialite, who knew more people than even the West Lake area's tourists during peak season. According to the address he'd sent her, Lin Mo's mother lived in the area, but the exact address was unclear. However, following the information from the small dining table, they could follow a lead.
Song Zhihan continued to walk inside. Her attire, which clearly showed that she was from outside, attracted a lot of attention. The woman picking vegetables and chatting was the most enthusiastic. She smiled and called out from across several people, "Hey, girl, are you looking for someone?"
Song Zhihan ran over with small steps, smiling brightly: "Yes, Auntie, I want to find Auntie Zhong who runs a small restaurant nearby. Do you know her address? Or her phone number is also fine."
The little girl had a high forehead, small cat eyes, a hanging nose, two lumps of white and tender flesh on her cheeks. She spoke openly and looked blessed. The vegetable picker said with a smile: "Girl, how old are you? You already have a child?"
Song Zhihan touched the tip of his nose, his cheeks flushed. "No, I'm... uh, asking for my sister at home."
The aunt pointed to the building inside and said, "Go down the second alley and it's the middle unit on the fifth floor of unit one."
Judging from the appearance and height of this building, there must be no elevator. Song Zhihan felt bitter, but still thanked the aunt who kindly showed him the way: "Okay, I understand, thank you."
The more she looked at the girl, the more she liked her. The woman picking vegetables looked around and lowered her voice to kindly remind her, "You'd better think carefully about signing up for her family's canteen. That woman, Zhong Xiuwen, is not someone you can easily mess with."
Listen... there is a story. Song Zhihan took a few steps forward, got close to the aunt, bent down, his eyes full of curiosity.
The woman picking vegetables threw away the leeks in her hand and started talking nonstop.
She said that Chung once chased someone for half a mile with a kitchen knife; splashed someone with pot washing water during an argument; and was blocked by market owners for her obsession with bargaining. The most famous story involved her upstairs neighbor, who had a fight that ended in the police station. The neighbor accused Chung of going berserk in broad daylight and causing a scene for no apparent reason.
All of the above points to one thing: this woman, Zhong Xiuwen, is not a good person.
Song Zhihan shuddered when he heard this. The one at home was good at the cold war, but it seemed that this one liked the fierce fight.
She had no words to express her pain. Couldn't this damn God just let her live a peaceful life of eating and waiting for death? Who could she turn to for justice?
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