Chapter 65 A Way Out "To throw oneself into one's arms, that's truly rare."...
In the afternoon, a strategic project investment review meeting of the group was held in the main conference room.
Tang Yi sat by the door, her tablet resting flat on her lap, her fingers unconsciously tapping the volume buttons. Executives entered one after another, taking turns greeting the chairman at the far end of the conference table.
She glanced at her watch; the meeting was about to begin in five minutes, and for some reason, her project was scheduled to be the first presentation.
Tang Yi wasn't entirely unfamiliar with giving presentations in front of so many executives. However, the thought that this meeting might be the biggest opportunity she could secure for those rural children made her inevitably a little nervous.
The time had come. Tang Yi lowered her eyelashes and took a few deep breaths. When she looked up again, her eyes were clear, showing no trace of nervousness.
On the screen was a project she knew by heart, which she presented smoothly. At the end of her report, she turned around, looked at the group of people present, her gaze passing across the long table, and met the eyes of Chairman Zhang at the far end.
She said, "This is the entire proposal. It carries significant social value and brand mission, and I humbly request your approval."
She could sense that some of the scrutinizing gazes had become less sharp, and some people had even nodded slightly.
After the words were spoken, an inexplicable silence fell over the conference room. Tang Yi tightened her grip on the pen, waiting for the other person to speak.
Zhang Minglang propped himself up from the chair, glanced at his grandfather at the far end, and seeing that he didn't seem to want to say anything, he was about to say something to ease the tension when the old man suddenly spoke up.
He didn't look at the project proposal; he simply placed his hands on the table, leaned back slightly, and calmly looked at her.
"Your proposal is excellent, and the data is very detailed. It's clear that you've put a lot of effort into it. As a young employee, this sense of social responsibility is truly commendable."
Hearing this, Zhang Minglang felt a little relieved.
But then he changed the subject: "However, Junmao is currently at a critical juncture and doesn't have enough funds to support such a large-scale charitable project, let alone the charity gala you mentioned in your plan. Secretary Tang, you think you're well-prepared, but you neither understand the company's financial situation nor how much manpower and resources a project actually requires to be implemented."
"You're a capable secretary who has handled countless projects, so it's normal for you to be confident. But you're still just a secretary after all. Without practical experience and without going to the places to experience things firsthand, these plans will just be empty talk."
Chairman Zhang spoke in a deep voice, leaving no room for leniency. Zhang Minglang could no longer remain seated. He placed his hands on the table, leaned forward slightly, and directly contradicted Chairman Zhang: "I disagree with your point of view, Chairman Zhang."
The executives were already observing the attitudes of these two, and now that Zhang Minglang had jumped out to openly oppose them, they were even more whispering and dared not express their opinions.
Zhang Minglang stated logically and convincingly, "As the president, I am very clear about the company's financial situation. The company sets aside a fund for charitable causes every year, so there is absolutely no problem of 'insufficient funds.' It was precisely because of this that I helped her invest in this project when she reported it to me."
"In addition, her plan is not just theoretical. In the past year or two, she has personally funded and facilitated the construction of the first small library in Orange County. She personally handled all the book selection and operation. The first on-campus psychological counseling room was also established by her personally contacting the foundation in her own name."
"What we are discussing today is not her imagined solution, but her successful experience that has been proven by facts."
His arguments were clear and logical, effectively refuting all of Chairman Zhang's earlier doubts about the Tangyi project. The executives present hesitated again, and a buzzing discussion filled the conference room.
Tang Yi's eyelashes trembled. She looked up anxiously at Zhang Minglang, who was arguing for her in the distance, and just wanted to rush up and push him back into his seat.
That was really impulsive; how could I have gone head-to-head with him?
As expected, despite Zhang Minglang's persuasive words, which convinced many hesitant executives, the project still lost by a large margin in the final vote.
After all, nobody's stupid; no one would go against the chairman for the sake of the president.
Moreover, this project was only proposed by a lowly secretary, and these seasoned veterans had no need to give them face.
After the meeting, the executives left the room in small groups, while Tang Yi and Zhang Minglang walked side by side toward the elevator.
Zhang Minglang kept his head down, and Tang Yi kept a close eye on his mood, not wanting him to be unhappy because of her project. She suppressed her own less-than-positive feelings and said in a lighthearted tone, "Don't overthink it. Chairman Zhang has his reasons."
Zhang Minglang was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Let's ignore the rest of the plan for now. The preparations for the charity gala will proceed as usual, but the scale will be upgraded."
Tang Yi was taken aback: "But the board of directors..."
Zhang Minglang turned to look at her, a resolute smile on his face: "They manage the company's money. Now, I want to do this in my personal capacity and with my connections."
Tang Yi sensed something was wrong. She frowned: "What do you mean by this?"
Zhang Minglang shrugged relaxedly: "It's nothing. This company and the board of directors are utterly meaningless. All they talk about is the big picture; they just want to make us unhappy because they were humiliated by us this morning."
Tang Yi's expression turned serious: "Zhang Minglang, have you really thought this through? The first beneficiary of my resignation is definitely myself, but I absolutely do not want to see you make the decision to start your own business not for yourself, but for me."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Minglang stopped and turned around. He put his hands in his pockets, looking extremely serious.
He said, word by word, "Tang Yi, we are both adults, and I would never be careless in such an important matter. This is also a decision I have thought about and prepared for for a long time. It is another way out for our relationship besides your resignation. If there really comes a day when all the malice comes, I don't want it to end with you sacrificing your job."
As if to avoid making the atmosphere too stiff, he relaxed his tone and dragged out his words: "How can you be so domineering, Tang Xiaoyi? We agreed that we would both be prepared, but you won't let me make any other plans?"
Tang Yi's expression relaxed considerably as she listened to his joking words.
He was absolutely right.
Love is a matter between two people, requiring both to invest energy and perhaps even make necessary sacrifices.
Moreover, this was an office romance between her and Zhang Minglang.
They were completely open and honest with each other, and had every right to face their relationship. However, in such a situation with many people talking, sometimes even the most upright person can be subject to scrutiny.
Just as Tang Yi and Zhang Dong said this morning, they have no ability to predict the future. But the only thing they can do is maintain the equality of their personalities and take precautions against possible rumors or other harm in the future.
Tang Yi felt a lingering fear when she thought about his bold, even somewhat reckless, decision.
Abandoning such a large family business to start their own?
It doesn't sound like a wise decision at all.
However, when she looked up at Zhang Minglang, he simply looked down at her and smiled, his face full of confidence and self-assurance.
Tang Yi silently suppressed the faint worry in her heart.
She believed him.
He is Zhang Minglang. He studied in the United States for a few years at a young age and returned to the branch company. In just two years, the company achieved double the performance. He officially took over the family group at the age of 27. Judging from the current operation and performance of Junmao, he is undoubtedly an excellent leader.
Although he was a completely different person after falling in love, she sometimes overlooked one fact: Zhang Minglang may be a bit annoying, but when it comes to being serious, he is absolutely meticulous.
For the next many days, in addition to being busy with the company's normal tasks and helping Fang Zhen gradually adapt to the work of a secretary, Tang Yi also had to work with Zhang Minglang to plan a charity gala.
Tang Yi was physically exhausted, but mentally fulfilled. She knew that this banquet was only possible because Zhang Minglang had used a large amount of his personal funds and connections to ensure its success; otherwise, it would have been impossible for it to proceed smoothly. Even so, she absolutely could not allow any mishaps to occur at the banquet.
Therefore, even when she was exhausted, she maintained a high spirit. She was busy calculating the time, contacting venues, arranging hosts, etc. Zhang Minglang was also constantly on the phone for this important event, personally inviting business tycoons and expressing his desire to see them attend.
Everything is ready. After nearly a week or two of joint efforts, the charity gala is confirmed for tonight.
Around four o'clock in the afternoon, Zhang Minglang came out of the president's office and asked Tang Yi to go out to a meeting with him.
Tang Yixin understood and picked up her bag and stood up.
Assistant Zhou drove the two people to a formal wear store.
Tonight is bound to be a tough battle. Zhang Minglang had already discussed it with Tang Yi in advance, and they left work a few hours early to go to the boutique to buy a formal suit.
Tang Yi initially refused, adding that he was wasteful: "How much money do you have? It's not like you don't have dresses in your wardrobe."
However, Zhang Minglang disagreed. He said seriously, "Can you pay a little more attention to this banquet? This is the last chance for the project, and also the last chance for Ju County. It is clearly necessary to order a brand new dress for this."
He came up with a bunch of plausible reasons, but none of them could cover up the fact that he just wanted to wear matching outfits with Tang Yi.
As for why they went to a physical store instead of having the brand deliver directly to them, Zhang Minglang explained that he "wanted to experience the feeling of shopping with Tang Yi."
Fortunately, Zhang Minglang finally got his wish and walked into the dress store arm in arm with Tang Yi, although Tang Yi shook him off in just two seconds.
"Be mindful of the impact; Assistant Zhou is still in the car by the door!"
Zhang Minglang pursed his lips and put his hands in his pockets.
The two visited several stores and finally settled on two matching haute couture gowns.
The sales assistant saw the two of them walk in side by side and insisted that they try on the two sets separately.
With the help of the sales assistant, Tang Yi struggled to understand the design of the dress, put it on with difficulty, and pulled back the curtain.
Coincidentally, Zhang Minglang walked out of the other fitting room at almost the same time.
He turned his head casually and saw a completely different Tang Yi.
The dark red satin gown resembled the shimmering color of rich red wine in a glass. The off-the-shoulder neckline showcased Tang Yi's elegant and defined collarbones and shoulder lines. The skirt cinched perfectly, accentuating her slender waist.
Tang Yi has fair skin and jet-black hair that hangs down on her snow-white skin, creating a striking contrast between the two.
Zhang Minglang reached out and tugged at his collar, which was a birthday gift from Tang Yi that he had specially tied on; it was a dark red, the same color as her dress.
The sales assistant helped her straighten the wrinkles in her skirt and then tactfully left the fitting room.
Zhang Minglang stepped forward and easily pulled her waist into his arms. Tang Yi wasn't used to being so close to him in public, so she tried to break free, but he deliberately let go, then tightened his grip, pulling her back into his embrace.
Tang Yi looked up: "What do you want to do?"
Zhang Minglang sighed softly, "I wanted to tell you how beautiful you are."
He led her to the huge floor-length mirror. In front of the mirror, the two of them overlapped, one in front of the other. Zhang Minglang then changed positions, hugging her from behind, and reached out to brush away the long hair that was draped over her bare shoulders and neck.
Tang Yi flinched slightly and turned to warn him not to do anything reckless.
Zhang Minglang blinked, gently rested his chin on her shoulder, looked at her in the mirror, and said with a smile, "What do you think I want to do?"
Tang Yiyu's eyelashes trembled slightly; she realized that she might have misunderstood.
Zhang Minglang kept laughing, which made Tang Yi's ears burn with annoyance. She turned around, but because she lost her balance in her high heels, she stumbled forward and bumped into his arms.
Zhang Minglang was knocked back a few steps by her bump, and his muffled laughter became more obvious: "To throw yourself into my arms, that's rare indeed."
Tang Yi stood up straight, wanting to refute, but suddenly caught a glimpse of red on his collar.
It's over.
She turned to look in the mirror and saw that there was a noticeable blemish on her lipstick.
Hearing him still chuckling behind her, Tang Yi was furious. She turned around and raised her voice, "Still laughing! These are clothes from someone else's store. How are you going to return them if they're stained with lipstick?"
Zhang Minglang leaned closer to the mirror, tugged at his collar, glanced at himself, and laughed, "Buy it, what else can I do?"
So when the two walked out of the store, in addition to getting two matching dresses, they also took an extra shirt with lipstick stains on it.
Incidentally, the photos also included a glimpse of the shop assistant's faint smile as she packed the clothes, and the look of adoration in her eyes as she saw them off.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
