0012 Sharpening a soft knife with hard edge
Half a month later, because the branch office in the next city had a new project that needed to be followed up by the headquarters, Jiang Jifan was ordered to take on the task at the last minute. He hurriedly booked a flight for 2 p.m. and flew there, without even having time to pack his luggage properly.
She arrived in City A at 3:30 p.m. The person in charge asked her to meet at the hotel, so she rushed there from the airport as soon as she got off the plane.
Upon arriving at the hotel, Jiang Jifan followed the instructions from the front desk to proceed to the waiting hall.
"When our headquarters manager arrives in a bit, we'll discuss this with you in more detail..."
Jiang Jifan was looking down at the group messages when he almost bumped into someone coming out from around the corner. He immediately stopped and looked up at the person.
The newcomer was tall and imposing, wearing a well-tailored dark blue striped suit. Looking further up...
Tantai Qing lowered his head and met the gaze of the woman in front of him.
Having not seen each other for so long, the two were both taken aback when they met for the first time.
"Hey, Miss Jiang, perfect timing, you've arrived." Upon seeing her, the short and stout Wang Dong chuckled a few times, then introduced the man beside him to her.
"Miss Jiang, this is Mr. Tan, the CEO of the Tan Group, and also our partner this time."
Because of what happened last time, Jiang Jifan hadn't contacted him for a long time. He could only try to overcome his embarrassment and politely greet him with a forced smile: "President Dan."
"Mr. Dan, this is Ms. Jiang from Shujian. She's here to assist with the coordination and planning of our project."
"Miss Jiang." A gentle voice rang in her ears. Jiang Jifan looked up to meet his gaze and suddenly felt completely out of place.
Despite her previous coldness and indifference, he was still able to maintain his calm and gentle demeanor, which only highlighted her inadequacy.
Jiang Jifan couldn't describe how he felt. It was like he had humiliated someone the day before, but the next day he still had to eat at the same table with them and see them all the time.
This was a situation she had never imagined, and she was at a loss for what to do.
However, Jiang Jifan's greatest strength is her ability to turn adversity into advantage, and she quickly adjusted her mindset again.
She thought to herself, "Don't overthink things. Just treat the other person as a normal business partner."
Fortunately, the man didn't make any unnecessary small talk with her, fully demonstrating the principle of "private matters are private matters, and public matters are public matters," which saved her some unnecessary trouble.
Jiang Jifan is always decisive and efficient, so he didn't waste any time and went straight to the point.
Tantai Qing is only here to supervise the project's progress; the specific work process will still be handled by the relevant personnel in the company.
The waiter brought over some snacks and drinks. He thanked him and then sat quietly to the side, watching their handover.
He originally intended to use this opportunity to assess the company's management capabilities, but his attention was unconsciously drawn entirely to Jiang Jifan, who was working diligently.
She was looking down at the tablet in her hand, her long curly hair partially obscuring her face, while her other hand held a water-based pen, occasionally jotting notes in her notebook.
The other person clearly held a higher position than her, but she kept them speechless with her counter-questions. Compared to the other person's helplessness, she appeared even more composed and had an excellent ability to control the situation.
It seems that she has completely overwhelmed her opponent.
"It's a pleasure to cooperate." After the communication ended, the other party's representative reached out to shake her hand. Jiang Jifan hesitated for a moment, politely raised her hand and gave it a perfunctory shake, then immediately withdrew her hand.
After he left, she immediately turned around to get a tissue to wipe her hands.
Tantai Qing guessed that she must have obsessive-compulsive disorder related to cleanliness.
“Ji Fan”.
Having found an opportunity to get closer to her, Tantai Qing immediately apologized for his recent busyness: "I'm sorry, I've been too busy lately..."
Jiang Jifan turned around and interrupted him, smiling slightly—a typical, standardized smile—but his eyes held no real mirth. “That’s your private matter. You don’t need to explain it to me, Mr. Dan.”
She intentionally distanced herself from him.
Tantai Qing paused slightly, then smiled gently after realizing what was happening.
She was still as invulnerable as ever.
"Alright, Ms. Jiang, it's dinner time now. If it's alright, would you mind joining me for dinner?"
Why is this person always so bookish...?
Jiang Jifan muttered to himself, but outwardly declined politely: "I'm sorry, Mr. Dan, I've already made plans to have dinner with other colleagues."
Tantai Qingwei raised an eyebrow, glanced at her watch, and smiled slightly. "If I remember correctly, your colleagues should be at the factory at this time, accompanying customers to inspect product quality, right?"
Will they be able to get here in time?
Jiang Jifan had intended to casually reject his invitation, but little did he know that the man had already found out everything, leaving him speechless.
"I know a good Sichuan restaurant nearby. If you don't mind, we can go and try it."
As if having already thought of a way to refuse her, Tantai Qing continued calmly, "Of course, if Miss Jiang minds sharing a meal with someone, then you can just think of me as a guide."
This person is really...
Jiang Jifan gritted his teeth secretly, feeling that he had met his match.
As the saying goes, you can't hit a smiling face. The man in front of me always had a refined and polite demeanor, and to be honest, it was hard to refuse him.
She just wanted to try some delicious Sichuan cuisine, Jiang Jifan comforted himself.
Then she slung her handbag over one shoulder and smiled calmly, "Since President Dan has extended such a kind invitation, I will gladly accept."
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